Crossing State Lines: Ethical and Clinical Considerations in Treating a Child With Catatonia.

Catatonia is a complex constellation of symptoms presenting with abnormalities in movement and behavior and arises from multiple medical, neurologic, and psychiatric conditions. In recent years, there has been a call to move catatonia from a classifier to a diagnosis of its own in the DSM-5.1,2 Catatonia is often underdiagnosed in the hospital and carries with it substantial morbidity and mortality.3 Malignant catatonia, characterized by autonomic instability, hyperactivity, mutism, and stuporous exhaustion, is a medical emergency requiring intensive care.4 Early diagnosis and treatment are imperative, as untreated malignant catatonia may be fatal in up to 10% to 20% of cases, sometimes only days from onset.5 The combination of lorazepam and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a safe and effective treatment for catatonia in both adults and children, although the body of literature pertaining to children remains limited.6,7 In addition, there are multiple case reports of improvement in catatonia with ECT regardless of etiology.8 However, laws in some US states prohibit ECT's use despite evidence of its effectiveness and safety in children and adolescents.9 Here, we describe a case presentation that was both prolonged and complicated by state laws pertaining to the use of ECT in children and adolescents.

Child Psychiatric Emergencies: Updates on Trends, Clinical Care, and Practice Challenges.

Over the past 15 years, the number of pediatric patients presenting to the emergency room in psychiatric crisis has nearly doubled. Suicidality and aggression are among the most common presenting problems, making it important for providers to have up-to-date knowledge about the assessment and management of these frequently encountered clinical issues. Psychometrically sound suicide risk assessment tools are available for use in the emergency room setting, which can be administered efficiently with minimal provider training. Rates of off-label medication use in the pediatric population continue to increase and are often used in the management of acute agitation in the pediatric population. The current literature will be reviewed and summarized for application in emergent treatment settings. Overall, evidence to inform best practice is limited, leading to opportunities for innovation in health care delivery, the development of new research aims, and discussion of challenging clinical dilemmas.