title: Panic disorder in the medical setting.
abstract: Most patients with panic disorder have their initial contact with the health care system in a general medical setting. Only 35% of patients have their first contact in a mental health care setting, and of these, only 22% are evaluated initially by a psychiatrist. Thus, family practitioners, cardiologists, gastroenterologists, and other specialists need to become familiar with the signs, symptoms, and differential diagnosis of panic disorder. Early diagnosis of panic disorder by nonpsychiatrists-before unnecessary tests are ordered-would substantially decrease the costs associated with this condition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425-0742, USA.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Ballenger
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005194:Family Practice; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D008511:Medicine; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011570:Psychiatry; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013038:Specialization; D019564:Unnecessary Procedures / Q000191:economics
chemical_list: D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors