CASE: Suicide in the Emergency Department
Providing care to psychiatric patients in the emergency department is a challenge for many reasons.
- Emergency physicians often receive insufficient training in behavioral emergencies.
- ED personnel are uncomfortable evaluating and treating these patients.
- ED staff may harbor negative attitudes toward behavioral health patients.
- Resources such as consultants and inpatient beds are lacking.
- The hectic ED environment can lead to iatrogenic escalation of psychiatric crises.
For the ED, however, the greatest risk and safety issue related to behavioral health is the appropriate evaluation and protection of the suicidal patient in the ED. We present 2 case studies to illuminate the uncommon but preventable catastrophe of suicide in the ED.
Source: Hubspot
Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: Triage
