Method Atotal of 34 368 patients receivedpsychiatric care inthe catchment area of one Spanishhospital (1992^2004). This studyisbasedon10 025 adultpatients whowere assessed on at leastten occasions (360 899 psychiatric consultations) in three settings: in-patient unit, 2000^2004 (n1⁄4546); psychiatric emergencyroom, 2000^2004 (n1⁄41408); and out-patient psychiatric facilities,1992^ 2004 (n1⁄410 ...

In the past decade, the fraction of emergency department visits related to mental illness has more than doubled. In order to receive effective treatment, mentally ill patients typically need to be transferred to a psychiatric bed. In 2010, the wait time for a psychiatric bed in California was estimated at over 10 hours. While waiting, patients do not receive adequate psychiatric treatment and l...

OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the feasibility and effectiveness of an emergency housing program as a step-down program after inpatient care, as a step-up program from community-based living, and as an alternative to inpatient care for individuals with serious mental illness who sought treatment at an urban medical center. METHODS One hundred sixty-one persons admitted consecutively to an eme...

BACKGROUND Several studies have suggested that immigrants have higher rates of psychiatric emergency service use and a higher risk of mental disorders such as schizophrenia than indigenous populations. AIMS To compare the likelihood that immigrants (immigrant group) v. indigenous population (indigenous group) will be diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in a psychiatric emergency se...

BACKGROUND The conditions of children and adolescents with migration background receiving emergency psychiatric care in Europe are not well known. Migrants usually attend regular psychiatric care less frequently than the autochthonous population. We therefore speculated that, being undertreated, they would be overrepresented among psychiatric emergency care patients. METHODS We retrospectivel...

INTRODUCTION 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 Ameri...

Background: Hyperkalemia is a common electrolyte disorder observed in the emergency department. It often associated with underlying predisposing conditions, such as moderate or severe kidney disease, heart failure, diabetes mellitus, significant tissue trauma. Additionally, medications, inhibitors of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, potassium-sparing diuretics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammato...