Mortality in geriatric psychiatric inpatients.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigated the deaths of patients sixty-five and older on a psychiatric ward to determine the mortality rate, the characteristics of illness, and the cause of death.


METHODS
We analyzed the case record of patients sixty-five and older who had died during hospitalization on a psychiatric ward during a seventeen-year period. Case data was collected by review of chart records.


RESULTS
The mortality rate in the patients sixty-five and older was 18/1208 (1.5%). Eight of these eighteen patients died of pneumonia. Mortality in the acutely ill geropsychiatric inpatients was difficult to predict. Age, sex, and diagnosis did not predict mortality.


CONCLUSIONS
To reduce mortality, especially in male veterans, management of geropsychiatric patients should include early recognition of pneumonia symptoms, especially for patients with history of pulmonary disease.
Hwang
J P
JP
Department of Psychiatry, Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Tsai
S J
SJ
Yang
C H
CH
D000368:Aged; D002423:Cause of Death; D003704:Dementia / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000401:mortality; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013624:Taiwan; D014728:Veterans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data