The schizophrenic patient in the somatic hospital.
OBJECTIVE
There is an increased risk in schizophrenia for premature death from illnesses in almost all organic systems. The present study analyses the Rate Ratio (RR) for schizophrenic patients' admissions to somatic departments in Denmark.


METHODS
20000 schizophrenic patients were identified in the Danish Psychiatric Central Register and 200000 sex- and age-matched controls were identified in the Danish Central Person Register. Both groups were searched for in the Danish National Patient Register in which admissions to all somatic departments are registered. Pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases are used as examples.


RESULTS
RR is increased for several diseases, especially infectious, up to a maximum of RR = 4.15 for severe heart failures and decreased to as low as RR = 0.35 for atherosclerotic diseases of the brain vessels.


CONCLUSIONS
It seems that individuals with schizophrenia are rarely treated for their physical illness in its early, less severe phases, but more likely in its acute phases when the disease is severe, life-threatening or painful.
Department of Psychiatric Demography, Institute for Basic Research, Psychiatric Hospital in Aarhus, Risskov, Denmark.
P
P
Muck-Jørgensen
O
O
Mors
P B
PB
Mortensen
H
H
Ewald
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index