title: Recognition of psychological and cognitive impairments in the emergency department.
abstract: Ninety-six patients presenting to a university hospital emergency department were screened before triage for psychological symptoms or cognitive impairment using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and Mini-Mental State examination (MMS). Charts were reviewed for demographic information and emergency physicians' recognition of psychological symptoms or cognitive dysfunction. Of the patients studied, 38% had positive results on the GHQ, and 18% had positive results on the MMS. Psychological symptoms or cognitive impairments were recognized by the emergency physicians in only 8% of those with positive GHQ results and 6% of those with positive MMS results. The usefulness of screening measures for psychological symptoms and cognitive impairment of emergency department patients is discussed.
mesh_terms: D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D004219:District of Columbia; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D011581:Psychological Tests