Possible Criteria for Inpatient Psychiatric Admissions: Which Patients are Transferred From Emergency Services to Inpatient Psychiatric Treatment?

Psychiatric treatments given in the Central Interdisciplinary Emergency Department at the Medical University of Hannover in 2002 were analyzed. Of a total of 2632 patients seeking psychiatry help, 51.4% were admitted for inpatient treatment. Patients with dementia syndromes were admitted more frequently than patient with other psychiatric diseases. Suicidality was often the reason for admission. Acute suicidality (222 patients) or a condition after attempted suicide (106 patients) frequently led to inpatient admission. Suicidality was present highly significantly less often in patients with F0 & F2 diagnoses. Patients in the diagnostic groups F3, F4, & F6 showed a significantly or highly significant higher than average incidence of suicidality. (12 refs.)