Characteristics of psychogeriatric patient visits to a general hospital emergency room.
OBJECTIVE
This study describes psychogeriatric patients who visit the Emergency Room (ER) in a teaching hospital with a comprehensive psychogeriatric service.


METHODS
A survey assessing demographic and clinical characteristics was completed for every psychiatric ER patient during a 2-year period.


RESULTS
One hundred and seventy-three ER patients aged over 60 (mean age 71.2) were assessed. Fifty-three percent were previously known to the psychogeriatric service. The majority of these previously known psychogeriatric patients who used the ER suffered from mood disorders. The majority of new psychogeriatric patients seen in the ER had an organic brain syndrome (OBS).


CONCLUSIONS
Few OBS patients who visited the ER were previously known to the psychogeriatric service, but many new OBS patients accessed the psychogeriatric service via the ER. For patients with mood disorders, particularly if suicidal, the ER was used as part of their service delivery system.
Shulman
R W
RW
Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, University of Toronto, Ontario.
Marton
P
P
Fisher
A
A
Cohen
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003693:Delirium / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005852:Geriatric Psychiatry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006769:Hospitals, General / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000092864:Suicide Prevention