Psychiatrische Patienten in der Notaufnahme

Factors predicting admission of psychiatric emergency contacts after presenting to the emergency department: results of a regression analysis

BACKGROUND

Psychiatric emergency patients have great relevance in the interdisciplinary emergency department. Emergency physicians in this setting often have to make decisions under time pressure based on incomplete information regarding the patient's further treatment. The aim of this study was to identify possible predictors associated with an increased likelihood of inpatient psychiatric admission.

METHODS

A retrospective cross-sectional study of all psychiatric emergency contacts in an interdisciplinary emergency department (ED) of a general hospital in a large German city was conducted for 2015. A binary regression analysis was performed to identify possible predictors.

RESULTS

In 2015, a total of 21421 patient contacts were reported in the emergency department, of which 1733 were psychiatric emergencies. Psychiatric emergency was the fourth most common cause presenting to the ED. The most common diagnosis given was mental and behavioral disorders due to the use of psychotropic substances (F1). Factors associated with an increased probability of inpatient psychiatric admission were previously known patients, patients under a legal care order (guardianship), and previous outpatient medical contact. No association for gender or age was found. Data demonstrated a negative relationship between a neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorder diagnosis and admission.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study shows some significant characteristics associated with an increased likelihood of emergency admission. Independent of the health care system, the predictors found seem to be relevant with regard to the probability of admission, when compared internationally. To improve the treatment of patients in emergency units, these factors should be taken into account.

[Using emergency department routine data for the surveillance of suicide attempts and psychiatric emergencies]

BACKGROUND

The occurrence of suicide attempts is a key indicator of the population's mental health and therefore belongs in the domain of Mental Health Surveillance at the Robert Koch Institute. No data source is currently being used systematically for the continuous observation of psychiatric emergencies (including suicide attempts) in Germany. Therefore, the use of routine data from emergency departments will be explored in this work.

METHODS

We included routine data from 12 emergency departments between 1 January 2018 and 28 March 2021. We developed syndrome definitions for suicide attempts, psychiatric emergencies based on combinations of chief complaints, and diagnoses from patients presenting with psychopathological symptoms. A descriptive analysis over time was presented and stratified by age and sex.

RESULTS

In total 1,516,883 emergency department attendances were included, among which we identified 5,133 cases (0.3%) as suicide attempts, 31,085 (2.1%) as psychiatric emergencies, and 34,230 (2.3%) as cases with psychiatric symptoms. Among psychiatric emergencies, 16.5% presented because of a suicide attempt. Of cases presenting with a suicide attempt, 53.4% were male and 20.2% were aged between 25 and 34 years. Cases identified by all 3 syndrome definitions and their temporal variations could be displayed over the entire observation period.

CONCLUSION

Syndromic surveillance using emergency department data indicates a potential for continuous surveillance of suicide attempts and psychiatric emergencies and provides a basis for further validation and analysis. The display of changes in real time extends the current research opportunities for psychiatric emergencies in Germany. Systematic surveillance of suicide attempts can contribute to evidence-based suicide prevention.

[Analysis of the psychiatric emergency inpatients in an ER setting at a general hospital]

OBJECTIVES

Evaluation of psychiatric emergency contacts in an interdisciplinary emergency room.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective examination of all psychiatric consultations of 2015.

RESULTS

The three most common emergency syndromes could be assigned in descending order to the F1 (32.2%), the F2 (25.9%) and the F3 diagnoses (21.2%). The admission rate was 58.9% and more than half of the patients came to the emergency room on foot (55.7%). Diagnosis-specific differences were found between first-time presenters and patients who had presented previously.

CONCLUSION

The psychiatric emergency has high relevance in the emergency room. The majority of the patients admitted to hospital meet the emergency criteria according to the guideline.

Häufigkeitsentwicklung alkoholassoziierter Vorstellungen in einer interdisziplinären großstädtischen Notaufnahme: Vergleich 2009 vs. 2014

Zusammenfassung. Einleitung: Das Ziel dieser Untersuchung war es, anhand eines 5-Jahres-Vergleiches in einer interdisziplinären Zentralen Notaufnahme (ZNA) mit psychiatrischer Vollversorgung bei alkoholbezogenen Patientenvorstellungen mögliche Veränderungen des Patientengutes herauszuarbeiten. Methodik: Hierzu erfolgte eine retrospektive Datenerhebung von alkoholbedingten ZNA-Vorstellungen in den Jahren 2009 und 2014. Patienten von mindestens 18 Jahren und mit einer alkoholassoziierten Vorstellung wurden in die Studie aufgenommen. In einem ersten Schritt erfolgte die Analyse der ZNA-Dokumentation. Danach wurde die digitale Klinikdokumentation hinsichtlich psychiatrischer und somatischer Komorbiditäten, erneuter C2-bedingter ZNA-Wiedervorstellungen und einer konsekutiven Inanspruchnahme eines suchtspezifischen stationären Behandlungsangebotes untersucht. Ergebnis: Im Jahr 2009 wurden in der Zentralen Notaufnahme 2267 psychiatrische Patientenvorstellungen erfasst. Davon konnten 596 (26.30 %) als alkoholassoziiert identifiziert werden. Im Jahr 2014 wurden 3.400 psychiatrische ZNA-Kontakte identifiziert, davon waren 1.021 Kontakte alkoholbedingt (30 %). Am Gesamtaufkommen aller ZNA-Kontakte machte die rein alkoholassoziierte Vorstellung im Jahr 2009 ca. 3,5 % aus, im Jahr 2014 lag der Anteil mit 4,2 % etwas höher. Es fand sich eine Erhöhung der produzierten Fälle pro Patient von 1,5 im Jahr 2009 auf 2 Fälle im Jahr 2014. Die Patientengruppen waren in beiden Jahren zu 70 % männlich und das Alter der Patienten, die sich alkoholassoziiert in der ZNA vorstellten, lag im Jahr 2009 im Mittel bei 45 Jahren (SD 11.7) und unterschied sich somit von Patienten aus dem Jahr 2014 mit einem Alter von 46 Jahren kaum (SD 13.1). Ein Großteil der Patienten nahm in den 12 Folgemonaten eine stationäre Behandlung wahr. Im Jahr 2009 waren hiervon 78,5 % der Pat. stationär im Jahr 2014 waren es 70,2 %. Es überwog im Jahr 2014 die kurze Verweildauer mit fast 50 % aller stationären Behandlungen (bis zu Zwei-Tage-Behandlung). Somatische Komorbidität hatte Einfluss auf die Verweildauer, psychiatrische Komorbidität erhöhte die Inanspruchnahme einer stationären Behandlung. Diskussion: Zwischen 2009 und 2014 hat sich die Charakteristik der alkoholbezogenen Patientenvorstellungen nicht wesentlich verändert. Jedoch konnte eine deutliche quantitative Veränderung i. S. einer Zunahme der alkoholassoziierten ZNA-Vorstellungen beobachtet werden.

[The situation of emergency psychiatry in Germany]

The impact of psychiatric emergencies for the care of patients in preclinical emergency medicine, in emergency departments and in psychiatric hospitals has been underestimated for a long time. There is still insufficient knowledge and a need for further research. There are, however, sufficient reasons to assume that annually approximately 500,000 patients with a psychiatric emergency receive treatment from a preclinical emergency physician and another 1.5 million in emergency departments in Germany. Further, approximately 500,000 patients are admitted to psychiatric hospitals as an emergency. The most frequent reasons are intoxication, agitation, aggressiveness and suicidal ideation, posing a threat of self-harm to the patient or to other persons and evoking other life-threatening conditions. Emergency psychiatry also plays a role in collective injuries, such as mass disasters, catastrophes and rampage situations. There is some evidence that the number of psychiatric emergencies is increasing. Reasons are, among others, changes in the services provided for inpatient and outpatient treatment, a reduction in stabilizing psychosocial factors and a general increase in the utilization of emergency healthcare services.