Characteristics of Psychogeriatric Patient Visits to a General Hospital Emergency Room

This article describes geriatric patients who visit the emergency room (ER). A survey assessing demographic & clinical characteristics was completed for every psychiatric ER patient during a 2 year period. Findings indicate that few patients with dementia who visited the ER were previously known to the service. A group of elderly patients with mood disorders used the ER, especially when suicidal. In patients with no psychiatric history, more than a third suffered from organic brain disorder.