Appropriateness and complexity of the psychiatric emergencies in a general hospital

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to provide data about the characteristics of consultations in a Psychiatric Emergency Unit of a General Hospital. PATIENTS AND METHOD: We evaluated prospectively all patients attended in the Psychiatric Emergency Unit of the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona over a period of 40 days. A standardized registry was applied. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 1,054 cases (52.9% women and 47.1% men). The most frequent reason for consultation was anxiety (33.4%). Some medication was administered in 59.4% cases and 20.5% of patients were hospitalized. The consultation was considered appropriate in 60.1% cases. Complementary exams were performed in 28.9% patients. In 21.7% cases, the patient had to be studied by more than one specialist. CONCLUSIONS: Consultations to a Psychiatric Emergency Unit may be complex, and therefore it seems reasonable that a general hospital has to be the ideal location for these units.