Case of a 29-year-old nurse with factitious disorder. The utility of psychiatric intervention on a general medical floor.
A 29-year-old nurse was treated for septic arthritis of the knee. She was suspected of producing this infection and others. The consultation-liaison team intervened early, and the patient was treated in individual outpatient psychotherapy for 1 year. Her course was complicated by criminal behavior and a suicide attempt, prompting relocation to her home town. The patient demonstrated a strong need to be nurtured, as noted in other cases of factitious disorders. An overview of factitious disorders is presented, and guidelines for managing these difficult patients in the hospital are provided.
Harrisburg Hospital, Pennsylvania.
J
J
Guziec
A
A
Lazarus
J J
JJ
Harding
D000328:Adult; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005162:Factitious Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D009110:Munchausen Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011613:Psychotherapy; D012008:Recurrence; D012803:Sick Role