Disposition of emergency department patients with psychiatric comorbidity: results from the 2004 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. Issue 4 (20th March 2006)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kunen, S; Prejean, C; Gladney, B; Harper, D; Mandry, C V
• Is Part Of: Emergency medicine journal. Volume 23:Issue 4(2006)
• Page Start: 274
• Page End: 275
• Publication Date: 2006-03-20
• Subjects: ED, emergency department -- NHAMCS, National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey -- SUD, substance use disorder; psychiatry -- comorbidity -- emergency department; Emergency medicine -- Periodicals; 616.02505
• DOI: 10.1136/emj.2005.027367
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1472-0205

Abstract

Abstract : Background: Few emergency department (ED) studies have examined how psychiatric comorbidity relates to hospitalisation decisions. Methods: We assessed the relationship of psychiatric comorbidity to hospitalisation decisions among ED patients in the 2004 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. Results: Patients with psychiatric comorbidity were five times more likely to be hospitalised than patients with a single psychiatric diagnosis. The most frequent psychiatric comorbidities involved substance use disorders (SUDs). Conclusions: Psychiatric disorders are underdiagnosed among ED patients. We believe that this underdiagnosis may be partly responsible for the high hospitalisation rates of ED patients with SUDs