Book chapter
Down with Disease
Psychiatric Emergencies
01 Jan 2022
Abstract
Accessing mental health care is becoming increasingly difficult, and emergency departments are tasked with caring for larger numbers of psychiatric patients. The first priority of the emergency physician is to perform the ABCs and a focused history and physical exam, and to determine if there are any medical conditions that need to be addressed concurrently with psychiatric considerations. Evaluation of many psychiatric complaints is facilitated by having 24hour psychiatry staff, either in person or through telemedicine, to assist in determining which patients may be safe for discharge and which may require inpatient admission. Having access to psychiatric consultation also helps initiate early medication administration for boarders. The presence of a dedicated psychiatric area within emergency departments may also prove to be beneficial in the efficient evaluation of the acute psychiatric patient. Lastly, engaging social workers and case managers to coordinate inpatient and outpatient resources is another means to improve access to mental health care in the emergency department.
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Details
- Title
- Down with Disease
- Creators
- William A. JohnjulioMoira Davenport
- Publication Details
- Psychiatric Emergencies
- Series
- WHAT DO I DO NOW EMERGENCY MEDICINE
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Resource Type
- Book chapter
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Emergency Medicine
- Other Identifier
- 991021903298704721