Abstract
Patients with Suicidal Ideation and Evidence of Alcohol Use are Discharged at Higher Rates from the Emergency Department
Highlights
The assessment and formulation of risk in patients with suicidal ideation is a complex process
Alcohol use was associated with final disposition in patients with suicidal ideation
Some patients with alcohol use may be better treated in an outpatient setting, it is possible that emergency physicians are using alcohol levels to incorrectly discharge suicidal patients at presumably higher risk from the emergency department
Summary
The assessment and formulation of risk in patients with suicidal ideation is a complex process. The first step in evaluating patients with psychiatric complaints in the Emergency Department (ED) setting is typically a history and physical examination This is commonly termed “medical clearance”, many experts have urged that this term be dropped from clinical use [1,2,3,4]. The assessment of suicide risk is further performed by professional mental health workers These mental health workers request laboratory assessments of substance use, despite the fact that the utility of routine laboratory testing has been criticized in both experimental studies [5,6,7] as well as expert guidelines regarding the screening of psychiatric patients in the ED [8,9,10].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Psychology and Psychoanalysis
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
