[Postoperative psychiatric complications following liver transplantation].
BACKGROUND
The aim of the study was to describe the psychiatric complications of the postoperative period of liver transplantation.


METHODS
Sixty-three adult liver transplant recipients were seen weekly before surgery and during the postoperative period until discharge. They were assessed through Goldberg's Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS) and diagnosed according to DSM-III-R criteria.


RESULTS
Psychiatric morbidity was 29%. Organic mental disorders were the most prevalent, especially delirium (13%), followed by adjustment disorders (8%), major depression (5%) and organic anxiety disorders (3%). One of the depressed patients showed subsequently a rapidly cycling bipolar course. Most patients had a good outcome of their psychiatric disorder at discharge. In contrast, patients with delirium presented a higher mortality rate.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of short-term psychiatric complications in patients undergoing liver transplantation is close to 30%. Delirium, which is significantly related to mortality, is the most frequent of them, followed by adjustment disorders and affective disorders, which, in contrast, seem to have a good prognosis.
Vieta
E
E
Unidad de Interconsulta Pisquátrica (Subdivisión de Psiquiatría), Hospital Clínic i Provincial, Universidad de Barcelona.
de Pablo
J
J
Cirera
E
E
Pujol
A
A
Grande
L
L
Rimola
A
A
Visa
J
J
D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D003693:Delirium / Q000209:etiology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000209:etiology*; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000523:psychology