Five-year outcomes following psychiatric consultation to a tertiary care emergency room.
OBJECTIVE
The authors prospectively examined inpatient psychiatric hospitalization and mortality rates of psychiatric patients seen in the emergency room of a large Department of Veterans Affairs medical center.


METHODS
Charts of 504 patients receiving evening psychiatric consultation during a 13-month period were assessed 5 years after the consultation to determine rates of psychiatric hospitalization and mortality.


RESULTS
Patients with multiple psychiatric diagnoses, including comorbid addiction disorders, had significantly higher rates of psychiatric hospitalization 5 years after an emergency room visit. Comorbid psychiatric disorders increased the rate of inpatient psychiatric hospitalization across diagnoses. Seventy-eight patients died during the study period.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings reveal relationships between diagnostic profiles and future psychiatric hospitalization and mortality rates. This information could focus psychiatric and medical interventions for high-risk patients.
Lambert
Michael T
MT
Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at Dallas, TX 75216, USA. Michael.Lambert2@med.va.gov
LePage
James P
JP
Schmitt
Andrew L
AL
D017831:Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D014481:United States