Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-14T22:01:51.720Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Is routine physical examination of psychiatric in-patients really necessary?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Ian Porter
Ian Porter*
Affiliation:
Fromeside Clinic, Blackberry Hill Hospital, Stapleton, Bristol BS16 1ED
*
Correspondence: Dr I. Porter, 36 Downend Park. Horfield, Bristol BS7 9PU
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Although there are some well recognised physical disorders such as intracranial lesions that can present with mental illness, many psychiatric conditions do not appear to be associated with underlying somatic complaints. However, a number of recent studies have shown that there are often high rates of concurrent medical conditions among acute psychiatric in-patients that were previously undiagnosed or unsuspected. The author illustrates this point by presenting two case studies in which a significant medical condition was only identified after physical examination on a psychiatric unit.

Type
Original Papers
Information
Psychiatric Bulletin , Volume 20 , Issue 4 , April 1996 , pp. 218 - 220
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1996

References

Chandler, J. D. & Gerndt, J. E. (1988) The role of the medical evaluation in psychiatric inpatients. Psychosomatics, 29, 410–416.Google Scholar
Mayou, R. & Hawton, K. (1986) Psychiatric disorder in the general hospital. British Journal of Psychiatry, 149, 172–190.Google Scholar
The Royal College of Physicians of London (1989) Fractured Neck of Femur. Prevention and Management (Report). London: RCP.Google Scholar
Walter-Ryan, W. G., Alarcon, R. D. & Meadows, D. T. (1987) Toward a profile of medically ill psychiatric patients. Southern Medical Journal, 80, 822–826.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.