Suicide Within 24 Hours After Assessment in the Emergency Department: Look for and Manage Anxiety

This article describes three cases of suicide within 24 hours of assessment in the emergency department. Forms of severe anxiety were evident in all 3 of these cases, regardless of whether they were easily detectable on examination. These cases are illustrative of the findings of 3 separate studies, all showing that severe anxiety, agitation, or panic attacks are correlated with acute suicide risk, whereas denial of suicidal ideation is not reliable in dismissing suicide risk in the presence of other warning signs. (4 refs.)