Laboratory findings in emergently medicated psychiatry patients.
OBJECTIVE
To determine routine laboratory differences between patients with severe psychomotor agitation who require emergency intramuscular (IM-medicated patients) medication and those who do not (non-IM-medicated patients).


METHODS
A retrospective chart review of patients 18 years or older who went to a psychiatry emergency service over a 30-day period was performed. Demographic and laboratory variables were compared between IM- and non-IM-medicated patients.


RESULTS
Emergently medicated patients (n=35) were older than non-IM-medicated patients (n=179) (42.6 vs 34.3 years, P<.001). Patients receiving emergency IM medications had higher leukocyte (WBC) count (P=.04), blood urea nitrogen (P=.001), creatinine (P=.01), glucose (P=.009), aspartate aminotransferase (P<.001), alanine aminotransferase (P=.01), and electrocardiogram QTc interval (P=.03). They were also more likely to have abnormal levels of potassium (P<.05), glucose (P<.05), aspartate aminotransferase (P<.001), and alanine aminotransferase (P<.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Emergently medicated patients in this psychiatry emergency service were more likely to be older and more likely to have abnormal laboratories vs other adult patients.
Schillerstrom
Tracy L
TL
Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA. schillerstrt@uthscsa.edu
Schillerstrom
Jason E
JE
Taylor
Sally E
SE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine; D004637:Emergency Services, Psychiatric; D005260:Female; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011595:Psychomotor Agitation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013781:Texas
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines