Abstract
Although the EEG has been in constant clinical use for over 40 years, there have been surprisingly few systematic studies of the pattern of referral and clinical use of electroencephalography in a NHS psychiatric service. In view of the current concern about medical audit and cost effective use of special investigation facilities, it is an opportune time to audit the use of clinical electroencephalography in psychiatry. The current study examines the clinical use of electroencephalography in a district psychiatric service that provides comprehensive care for the population of Dundee (population 180,000).
Highlights
The EEG has been in constant clinical use for over 40 years, there have been surprisingly few systematic studies of the pattern of referral and clini cal use of electroencephalography in a NHS psychi atric service
After excluding children and mentally handicapped patients we were left with a final sample of 91 new referrals, 63 (69%) being in-patients and 28 (31%) out-patients
Of the EEG referrals, 29% had a diagnosis of organic brain syndrome compared with 6% of the controls
Summary
FENTONP, rofessor of Psychiatry, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee DD1 9SY, Scotland; and KEVINSTANDAGE, Professor of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Victoria General Hospital, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The EEG has been in constant clinical use for over 40 years, there have been surprisingly few systematic studies of the pattern of referral and clini cal use of electroencephalography in a NHS psychi atric service. In view of the current concern about medical audit and cost effective use of special investi gation facilities, it is an opportune time to audit the use of clinical electroencephalography in psychiatry. The current study examines the clinical use of electro encephalography in a district psychiatric service that provides comprehensive care for the population of Dundee (population 180,000)
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