title: American Association for Emergency Psychiatry Task Force on Medical Clearance of Adults Part I: Introduction, Review and Evidence-Based Guidelines.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the United States, the number of patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) for a mental health concern is significant and expected to grow. The breadth of the medical evaluation of these patients is controversial. Attempts have been made to establish a standard evaluation for these patients, but to date no nationally accepted standards exist. A task force of the American Association of Emergency Psychiatry, consisting of physicians from emergency medicine and psychiatry, and a psychologist was convened to form consensus recommendations on the medical evaluation of psychiatric patients presenting to EDs.
  
  
  METHODS
  The task force reviewed existing literature on the topic of medical evaluation of psychiatric patients in the ED (Part I) and then combined this with expert consensus (Part II).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In Part I, we discuss terminological issues and existing evidence on medical exams and laboratory studies of psychiatric patients in the ED.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Emergency physicians should work cooperatively with psychiatric receiving facilities to decrease unnecessary testing while increasing the quality of medical screening exams for psychiatric patients who present to EDs.
authors.affiliation: University of Maryland, Department of Psychiatry, College Park, Maryland.
authors.forename: Eric L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Aurora, Colorado; Denver Health Medical Center, Emergency Psychiatry, Denver, Colorado.
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nordstrom
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine Behavioral Emergencies Research lab, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas.
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Henry Ford Hospital, Senior Staff Psychologist, Department of Emergency Medicine, Detroit, Michigan.
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Peltzer-Jones
authors.affiliation: Chicago Medical School, Department of Emergency Medicine, North Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zun
authors.affiliation: Uniformed Services School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Aurora, Colorado.
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Allen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D026683:Advisory Committees; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000379:methods; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D010820:Physicians; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D000068436:Surgical Clearance / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States