A Survey of Clinical Approaches to Suicide Risk Assessment for Patients Intoxicated on Alcohol.
Psychosomatics
; 60(2): 197-203, 2019.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-30093244
BACKGROUND: Suicidal ideation and alcohol use are common among emergency department patients. It is unclear at what point a suicide risk assessment should occur among patients who present with acute alcohol intoxication. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to describe practice patterns among expert practitioners for timing the suicide risk assessment for an intoxicated patient. METHODS: An online survey was sent to emergency psychiatrists and behavioral health specialists on 2 national listserves including that of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry's Emergency Psychiatry Special Interest Group. RESULTS: Sixty respondents had a mean of 16 ± 12years (mean ± standard deviation) out of specialty training and had extensive experience and comfort in managing this patient presentation. All respondents were board-certified and most (68%) practiced in academic settings. The most common practice for conducting a safety risk assessment in alcohol-intoxicated patients was to proceed once the patient was clinically sober (58%). Other practices included retesting the patient until a specific blood alcohol concentration was reached (19%) or waiting a certain time after presentation based on the initial blood alcohol concentration (15%). Some (8%) evaluated actively-intoxicated patients for suicide risk. Practice varied slightly based on the location of practice,type of practice, and where the clinician trained. DISCUSSION: Expert clinicians most often describe using a clinical assessment to determine sobriety before completing a suicidal risk assessment, although alternative practices remain common. While advantages and disadvantages vary among different approaches, the quality and evidence base underlying these practices are questioned.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Psiquiatría
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Pautas de la Práctica en Medicina
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Medición de Riesgo
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Intoxicación Alcohólica
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Prevención del Suicidio
Tipo de estudio:
Etiology_studies
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Prognostic_studies
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Qualitative_research
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Risk_factors_studies
Límite:
Adult
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Psychosomatics
Año:
2019
Tipo del documento:
Article