Past Issues

Font:SmallMiddleLarge
Share:
Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Schizophrenia Referred for Hospitalization from the Psychiatric Emergency Room

Yuan-Yu Chan, M.D., Jyh-Chyang Lin, M.D., Lih-Jong Shen, M.D., Szu-Nian Yang, M.D.

Objective: This study was to explore which predictors of patients with schizophrenia would be hospitalized after visiting the emergency room in Taiwan. This study was found that more than 50% of patients with schizophrenia who visited the psychiatric emergency room received psychiatric hospitalization. Method: The demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with schizophrenia who visited emergency room between January 1 to June 30, 2005 were analyzed by chart review,We compared the difference between patients with schizophrenia hospitalized and not hospitalized. Results: The predictors of patient with schizophrenia in emergency room to be hospitalized were unemployed, referred by police, obviously psychotic symptoms, suicide attempt/behavior, violent tendency/behavior and alcohol/substance abuse. Through multiple logistic regression analysis, we found that the most significant predictors were obviously psychotic symptoms and violent tendency/behavior. Conclusions: The results of this study was found that more than 50% patient with schizophrenia who visited the psychiatric emergency room received psychiatric hospitalization. The most significant predictors of hospitalization were obviously psychotic symptoms (OR=26.1, 95%CI=3.23-210.48) and violence tendency/behavior (OR=16.2, 95%CI=3.56- 73.85). (Full text in Chinese)
Key Word schizophrenia, emergency room, hospitalization
Editorial Committe, Taiwanese Journal of Psychiatry
9F-3, 22, Song-Jiang Rd., Taipei 104, Taiwan
Email/sop2@ms19.hinet.net │ TEL/886-2-2567-8295 │ FAX/886-2-2567-8218