Conference paper
PSYCHIATRY IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM: ONE YEAR PERIOD OF CLINICAL EXPERIENCE
Serena Anastasi
; School of Specialization in Psychiatry, University of Perugia, Division of Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology and Rehabilitation, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine - University of Perugia - Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital – Sant’Andrea delle Fratte, Perugia, Italy
Paolo Eusebi
; School of Specialization in Psychiatry, University of Perugia, Division of Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology and Rehabilitation, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine - University of Perugia - Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital – Sant’Andrea delle Fratte, Perugia, Italy
Roberto Quartesan
; Division of Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology and Rehabilitation, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine - University of Perugia - Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital – Sant’Andrea delle Fratte, Perugia, Italy
Abstract
Objective: We examined the psychiatric consultations carried out over one year at the Emergency Room (ER) of the hospital of
Perugia, with the aim of describing the epidemiologic characteristics of patients with any psychiatric illness and their management.
We also assessed the distribution of psychiatric emergencies over this year of observation.
Method: We recruited patients admitted to the ER, between July 2011 and June 2012, for which a psychiatric consultation was
required. We used the t-test for continuous variables. Categorical variables were analyzed with the chi-squared test and the Fisher
exact test. We considered significant test results with p<0.05. The post-hoc analyses were carried out with Bonferroni or Sidak
correction. Statistical analyses were performed using STATA 12.0.
Results: Neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders were the most represented. The most frequent approach to patients
with psychiatric complaints did not imply the use of psychopharmacological treatments or coercive interventions. No particular
seasonality of psychopathology was observed.
Conclusions: One of the fundamental aspects of the psychiatric intervention is empathy along with the attempt to enter into a
relationship with the patient, in order to share, where possible, the therapeutic project, particularly in the case the of patients with
acute and severe psychiatric illnesses.
Keywords
psychiatric emergencies; consultation-liaison psychiatry; emergency room
Hrčak ID:
265684
URI
Publication date:
5.11.2014.
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