title: [Somatic illness in psychiatric patients].
abstract: Psychiatric patients are a vulnerable group in society and have been shown to suffer from a wide range of somatic diseases when admitted to the psychiatric department. During a three month period we examined 174 newly admitted psychiatric patients with the purpose of investigating 1) the frequency of somatic illness, 2) the value of routine blood tests as a screening tool for somatic illness and 3) a possible causality between somatic disease and psychiatric illness. Fifty percent of the patients suffered from a somatic disease and 31% of the patients had a previously undiagnosed disease. The somatic disease was found to be the main cause of admission in 16% of the patients. Older patients and patients with alcohol abuse were found to have the highest prevalence of somatic disease. In conclusion, we found no indication for a screening programme of blood tests, but recommend that selected blood tests based on the clinical examination and history of the individual patient should be taken. Psychiatric patients have a high prevalence of somatic disease, and it is important to direct clinical attention towards this when giving care to psychiatric patients.
authors.affiliation: Psykiatrisk afdeling E., Bispebjerg Hospital.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Madsen
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Aakerlund
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Pedersen
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D015897:Comorbidity; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology; D010808:Physical Examination; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders
vernacular_title: Fysisk helbred hos psykisk syge.