[Emergency and psychiatric emergency at the General Hospital (author's transl)].

First, the author examines the requests made on the consulting psychiatrist (Prof. Luminet Service) within a 1.000 beds' hospital, administered by the Public Assistance and with a university status. He compares data on three months to a similar study done in the same hospital four years ago and lasting for six months. There is an important increase in the number of requests. He examines the reason for the requests, the distribution in age of the patients and their outcome after the psychiatric consultation. The comparison of both studies does not show any improvement in the failure already emphasized in the 1970 study. Secondly, the functioning of the psychiatric emergency unit (11 beds) is examined for a period of four months. The 59 patients in transit in this unit are examined for age, diagnosis, place of origin, length of stay. Some factors in favor and against this type of stay are discussed, in relation to the teaching role of the unit for the students and in relation to the type of hospitalised patients (Acta psychiat. belg., 1977, 77, 639-652).