Physical disorders among emergency psychiatric patients.

An examination of patients with physical disorders requiring immediate treatment or investigation was undertaken in the Psychiatric Emergency Service of the Royal Ottawa Hospital and found to comprise 7% of the patient population, or one visit per day. Those with physical problems differed from the rest of the emergency patients in that a greater number were over age 60 and were diagnosed as alcoholic or chronic organic brain syndrome. Socio-demographic characteristics were examined as well. The presenting problem was accurate regarding a physical basis in only two-thirds and the disorder could, in some way, be related to a psychiatric diagnosis in 75% of the patients. Emphasis is placed on the fairly high frequency of immediate physical attention required by these patients who come to the psychiatrist. Consequently, psychiatric assessment and management is not the priority for this group and other skills of the psychiatrist are necessary in treating the patient.