liaison psychiatry Flashcards
what is liaison psychiatry
link between general medicine and psychiatry in hospital setting
what is delirium?
an acute confusional state
what disturbances are seen in delirium?
- consciousness and attention
- perception
- thinking
- memory
- psychomotor behaviour
- emotion
- sleep-wake cycle
duration of delirium
variable
variable severity
onset of delirium
acute, sudden
what is the core feature of delirium?
inattention
delirium and future cognitive decline?
increases risk
how does delirium affect outcomes?
worsens and increases mortality rates
RFs for delirium?
- elderly
- previous
- dementia
- pain
- constipation
- infection
- electrolytes
- medication
- sensory impairment
causes of delirium?
I WATCH DEATH
Infection Withdrawal Acute metabolic syndrome Trauma CNS pathology Hypoxia Deficiency - thiamine, anoxia Endocrine - hypo/erthyroid, cushings, addisons Acute vascular/MI Toxins/drugs - CO, steroids, opiates, digoxin Heavy metals - lead, mercury
workup for delirium
- med = psych hx
- collateral hx
- MMSE
- pex
- ix
ix for delirium?
Basically everything
don’t forget:
TFTs B12 folate VDRL septic screen drug screen EEG LP
assessment scales for delirium?
- MMSE
- AMTS
- AMT-4
- CAM
attention assessments
attention assessments for delirium
MBT - months of the year backwards
days of the week backwards
count from 20 to 1
SAVEAHAART - >2 errors = fail, squeeze hand at A
mangt delirium?
tx UC
environmental mangt delirium?
- psychoeducation
- family involvement
- reorientate frequently
- environmental cues - clock/calendar
- lighting for time of day
- give glasses, hearing aid
- mobilise and ADLs
- 1:1 nursing
- stop unnecessary meds
- treat pain, constipation, dehydration etc
- meds - not 1st line
meds in delirium?
antipsychotics may reduce duration
not 1st line
indications for meds in delirium?
- patient distress
- risk harm to patient/others
- v disturbed sleep
- significant behavioural prob
what is a conversion disorder?
thoughts or memories that are unacceptable are repressed and converted into physical symptoms
what is a dissociative disorder?
condition involving breakdown of memory, awareness, identity or perception - defense mechanism that is pathological and involuntary
examples of dissociative disorder?
- dissociative amnesia
- dissociative fugue
- trance and possession disorder
- dissociative motor disorders - paralysis, aphonia
- dissociative convulsions
- dissociative anaesthesia and sensory loss
- other eg ganser syndrome