Short admission in an emergency psychiatry unit can prevent prolonged lengths of stay in a psychiatric institution.
OBJECTIVE
Characterize and compare acute psychiatric admissions to the psychiatric wards of a general hospital (22 beds), a psychiatric hospital (80) and of an emergency psychiatry unit (6).


METHODS
Survey of the ratios and shares of the demographic, diagnostic and hospitalization variables involved in all acute admissions registered in a catchment area in Brazil between 1998 and 2004.


RESULTS
From the 11,208 admissions, 47.8% of the patients were admitted to a psychiatric hospital and 14.1% to a general hospital. The emergency psychiatry unit accounted for 38.1% of all admissions during the period, with a higher variability in occupancy rate and bed turnover during the years. Around 80% of the hospital stays lasted less than 20 days and in almost half of these cases, patients were discharged in 2 days. Although the total number of admissions remained stable during the years, in 2004, a 30% increase was seen compared to 2003. In 2004, bed turnover and occupancy rate at the emergency psychiatry unit increased.


CONCLUSIONS
The increase in the number of psychiatric admissions in 2004 could be attributed to a lack of new community-based services available in the area beginning in 1998. Changes in the health care network did affect the emergency psychiatric service and the limitations of the community-based network could influence the rate of psychiatric admissions.
Barros
Régis Eric Maia
RE
Department of Neurosciences and Behavior, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. regisbarros@usp.br
Marques
João Mazzoncini de Azevedo
JM
Carlotti
Isabela Panzeri
IP
Zuardi
Antonio Waldo
AW
Del-Ben
Cristina Marta
CM
D000328:Adult; D004637:Emergency Services, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010351:Patient Discharge; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult