Psychiatric consultations in a Dutch university hospital: a report on 1814 referrals, compared with a literature review.
A report is presented of four years of psychiatric consultations with inpatients in the University Hospital Leyden, The Netherlands. The characteristics of these 1814 consultations are compared with a comprehensive review of 42 publications (mostly from the United States) on psychiatric referral patterns in general hospitals. Compared to the literature, the present study covers a long period of investigation and a high number of consultations in quite a large hospital. Yet, the figures in this report are surprisingly similar to the median numbers that can be compiled from the literature. There is, however, a striking lack of conformity in the classifications used by authors in reporting reasons for referral, psychiatric diagnoses, and the actions of psychiatric consultants. A plea is made, therefore, for better definition and classification of patients seen by consultation-liaison services.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000639:trends*; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000639:trends*; D012737:Sex Factors