Condition Lookup
Category:
Psychiatric and Behavioral Emergencies
Number of Conditions: 5
Suicidal Ideation and Attempts
Specialty: Emergency and Urgent Care
Category: Psychiatric and Behavioral Emergencies
Sub-category: Acute Psychiatric Crises
Symptoms:
expressions of wanting to die or kill oneself; planning or attempting suicide; withdrawing from loved ones; mood swings; hopelessness; preparing wills or giving away belongings
Root Cause:
Often related to severe depression, anxiety, substance abuse, trauma, or psychiatric conditions such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical evaluation through direct questioning, psychological assessment, and risk evaluation using tools like the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS).
Treatment:
Immediate safety measures (e.g., hospitalization), psychotherapy (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy), crisis intervention, and addressing underlying psychiatric disorders.
Medications:
Antidepressants (e.g., SSRIs like sertraline or fluoxetine ), mood stabilizers (e.g., lithium ), antipsychotics (e.g., olanzapine or risperidone ), and sedatives (e.g., benzodiazepines) for acute agitation.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Affects approximately 4.6% of individuals annually in the U.S., with higher prevalence in adolescents and young adults.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
History of mental illness, previous suicide attempts, family history of suicide, substance abuse, major life stressors, social isolation, chronic illness.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
With timely intervention, individuals can recover and lead fulfilling lives, but ongoing support and monitoring are crucial to prevent recurrence.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Risk of completed suicide, long-term psychiatric sequelae, injury from attempts, impact on loved ones.
Acute Psychosis
Specialty: Emergency and Urgent Care
Category: Psychiatric and Behavioral Emergencies
Sub-category: Psychotic Disorders
Symptoms:
delusions; hallucinations; disorganized thinking; paranoia; agitation; social withdrawal; difficulty distinguishing reality
Root Cause:
Often associated with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, substance-induced psychosis, severe stress, or medical conditions like brain injuries or infections.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical evaluation, psychiatric history, ruling out organic causes through lab tests (e.g., toxicology screening, thyroid function tests), and imaging (e.g., CT/MRI).
Treatment:
Rapid tranquilization (if agitated), antipsychotic medications, addressing underlying causes, and supportive psychotherapy.
Medications:
Antipsychotics (e.g., haloperidol , olanzapine , risperidone ), benzodiazepines (e.g., lorazepam for agitation), and mood stabilizers (e.g., valproate for bipolar-related psychosis).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Approximately 3% of the population experiences a psychotic episode during their lifetime.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Family history of psychosis, substance use (e.g., cannabis, hallucinogens), sleep deprivation, severe stress, or trauma.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Variable depending on the underlying cause; with treatment, many recover fully from a first episode, but chronic conditions require long-term management.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Self-harm, harm to others, difficulty maintaining relationships, job loss, homelessness.
Severe Agitation or Aggression
Specialty: Emergency and Urgent Care
Category: Psychiatric and Behavioral Emergencies
Sub-category: Behavioral Crises
Symptoms:
physical aggression; verbal outbursts; restlessness; disorientation; self-harming behavior; destruction of property
Root Cause:
May stem from psychiatric disorders (e.g., mania, psychosis, personality disorders), substance intoxication or withdrawal, head trauma, or metabolic disturbances (e.g., hypoglycemia).
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Observation of behavior, patient history, physical examination, and ruling out medical causes (e.g., lab work, imaging for head injuries).
Treatment:
De-escalation techniques, physical or chemical restraint (if necessary), treating underlying causes, and possibly hospitalization.
Medications:
Sedatives (e.g., lorazepam ), antipsychotics (e.g., haloperidol or aripiprazole ), mood stabilizers (e.g., carbamazepine for underlying bipolar disorder), and beta-blockers (e.g., propranolol for aggression).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Common in emergency settings, particularly among patients with known psychiatric or substance use disorders.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Mental health disorders, substance use, stressful events, prior history of aggression, traumatic brain injury.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good with prompt management and treatment of underlying issues, though recurrence is possible without ongoing care.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Physical harm to self or others, legal issues, social isolation, worsening of underlying conditions.
Delirium Tremens
Specialty: Emergency and Urgent Care
Category: Psychiatric and Behavioral Emergencies
Sub-category: Substance-Related Crises
Symptoms:
severe agitation; confusion; hallucinations; fever; sweating; tachycardia; hypertension; seizures
Root Cause:
Acute severe alcohol withdrawal resulting in central nervous system hyperactivity, involving dysregulated neurotransmitter activity (reduced GABA and excessive glutamate).
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical evaluation based on history of alcohol use, presenting symptoms, and ruling out other causes of delirium through lab tests and imaging if necessary.
Treatment:
High-dose benzodiazepines, IV fluids, thiamine, magnesium, and antipsychotics for severe agitation or psychosis. ICU-level monitoring may be required for severe cases.
Medications:
Benzodiazepines (e.g., lorazepam , diazepam , chlordiazepoxide ) are used for sedation and symptom control. Antipsychotics (e.g., haloperidol ) may help with hallucinations or severe agitation. Thiamine to prevent or treat Wernicke's encephalopathy.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Occurs in 5% of patients undergoing alcohol withdrawal; more common in individuals with chronic, severe alcohol dependence.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Long-term heavy alcohol use, history of delirium tremens, concurrent medical illness, and poor nutritional status.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Life-threatening if untreated; with aggressive treatment, the prognosis improves significantly, but mortality still ranges from 1-4%.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Arrhythmias, respiratory failure, aspiration pneumonia, cardiovascular collapse, and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.
Drug-Induced Psychosis
Specialty: Emergency and Urgent Care
Category: Psychiatric and Behavioral Emergencies
Sub-category: Substance-Related Crises
Symptoms:
paranoia; hallucinations (auditory or visual); delusions; disorganized thinking; agitation; confusion
Root Cause:
Acute or chronic use of psychoactive substances disrupts neurotransmitter systems (e.g., dopamine, serotonin) in the brain, leading to psychosis.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical evaluation of symptoms, history of substance use, and toxicology screening to identify causative substances.
Treatment:
Immediate cessation of the causative drug, supportive care, and symptomatic treatment with antipsychotics or sedatives as needed.
Medications:
Antipsychotics (e.g., haloperidol , olanzapine ) are used to manage psychotic symptoms. Benzodiazepines (e.g., lorazepam ) for agitation or severe distress.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Common among individuals using stimulants (e.g., methamphetamine, cocaine), hallucinogens, or cannabis; prevalence varies by substance and population.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Use of high doses of psychoactive substances, preexisting mental health conditions, genetic predisposition, and poly-drug use.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Usually resolves with cessation of the causative substance, but prolonged psychosis may occur in some cases, especially with chronic use.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Self-harm, aggression, chronic psychotic disorders, and substance dependency.