Abstract:

Aim: Psychiatric patients form a significant rate of patients cared for by emergency hospitals. Studies have shown that 3-12% of those admitted in emergency services of general hospitals are psychiatric patients. The objective of this study is to research the sociodemographic characteristics and psychiatric diagnoses of psychiatric cases in the emergency service were consulted with psychiatry. Material and Methods: The records of all patients who were admitted to Karadeniz Technical University Hospital Emergency Service and whose psychiatric consultations were asked between the dates 31.10.2015 and 31.10.2016 were assessed retrospectively and the patients’ sociodemographic characteristics, the purposes for asking for consultation and their psychiatric diagnoses were reviewed. Results: Of the 171 patients included in the study, 93 (54.4%) were female, while 78 (45.6%) were male. Average age of the patients was 35.6±15.5 and 128 (74.9%) were unemployed. 63 (36.9%) of the patients were consulted to the psychiatric department for suicide attempt, 21 (12.3%) for acute psychotic symptoms, 17 (9.9%) for anxiety symptoms, 16 (9.4%) for mania period symptoms, 13 (7.6%) for having thoughts of suicide, 12 (7%) for agitation and 12 (7%) for side effects due to psychotropic drugs. Psychiatrically, 42 (24.6%) of the patients who were asked for consultation were assessed as depressive disorder, while 19 (11.1%) were assessed with schizophrenia, 26 (15.2%) were assessed as alcohol and drug use disorder. Conclusion: In this study, the patients were consulted with psychiatry for suicide attempt the most, and the most frequently determined psychiatric diagnosis as a result of psychiatric assessment was depression.

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