Review article

https://doi.org/10.24869/spsih.2019.185

Dementia and Psychiatric Emergencies in the Elderly Population

Miroslav Herceg orcid.org/0000-0002-9008-9146 ; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Medicine, University Department of Psychiatry Vrapče, Zagreb, Croatia
Mirna Sisek-Šprem ; University Department of Psychiatry Vrapče, Zagreb, Croatia
Krešimir Puljić ; University Department of Psychiatry Vrapče, Zagreb, Croatia
Dora Herceg ; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

Related to the fact of the continuous increase in the number of elderly people in the total population of Croatia, it can be expected that the number of elderly people with acute psychiatric disorders that require emergency care will increase. The most common psychiatric disorders found in the elderly are depressive disorders, cognitive disorders, dementia, alcoholrelated disorders, disorders related to other health conditions and drug-induced disorders. Geriatric patients should,
generally speaking, first be reviewed by a psychosomatic medical specialist (internist, neurologist, surgeon) before they are sent to psychiatric emergency services in order to establish that the primary complaint is connected with the psychiatric domain. Pronounced depression, suicidality, agitation, wandering tendencies and other home-based risk behaviours, with anxiousness and reduced self-care ability, are the main reasons for hospitalization.

Keywords

Dementia; Emergencies; Elderly population; Procedures and interventions

Hrčak ID:

221995

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/221995

Publication date:

3.7.2019.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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