Treating the acutely psychotic patient.
BACKGROUND
Acute psychosis is a medical emergency that is responsive to medical treatment and has a significant risk of morbidity and mortality if untreated. It is a common presentation both in general practice and hospital emergency departments. With the shift of long term management of mental illness from psychiatric hospitals to the community in the past 20 years, general practitioners are increasingly involved in the short and long term management of psychotic patients.


OBJECTIVE
To review contemporary assessment and management of acute psychosis with the emphasis on patient and practitioner safety, and the resources that are available for the management of psychotic patients.


CONCLUSIONS
General practitioners should be able to safely assess acutely disturbed patients and diagnose acute psychosis and its potential causes. They should be aware of the alternatives for acute treatment. They should be conversant with the Mental Health Act and its use to ensure patient safety and with the medications that are used to treat acutely psychotic patients.
Raftos
John
J
Sutherland and St Vincent's Hospitals, Sydney, New South Wales. raftosj@sesahs.nsw.gov.au
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence; D005194:Family Practice / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012449:Safety; D012720:Severity of Illness Index