• F G Pajonk, K A Grünberg, H R Paschen, H Moecke, and Arbeitsgruppe Psychiatrie und Rettungswesen.
• Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Universitätskrankenhaus Hamburg-Eppendorf. pajonk@uke.uni-hamburg.de
• Fortschr Neurol Psychiatr. 2001 Apr 1;69(4):170-4.

ObjectivePre-clinical Psychiatric Emergency Situations (PES) gain more scientific interest. First investigations revealed them to be the third major cause for emergency physician (EP) calls. However, there is still very little data concerning prevalence, diagnosis and therapy.MethodsA retrospective analysis of all anonymised EP protocols of the year 1995 in the city of Hamburg was performed. Data of each multiple-choice category was evaluated as well as handwritten and personal notes to determine prevalence, diagnoses and therapy of PES.Results2550 out of 26,347 protocols (9.7%) revealed to have a psychiatric disturbance as a major cause for the call. The most frequent diagnoses in the overall young (average age: 43.1 +/- 17.6 years) and male (60.3%) population were found to be alcoholic intoxication (34%), state of agitation (23%) and suicide attempts (22%). In 55% the emergencies could be considered as purely psychiatric; in 35% as a combined somatic-psychiatric emergency. A specific psychopharmacological treatment was not performed.ConclusionsPsychiatric patients are a considerable group in pre-clinical emergency medicine, however, disturbances are much too rarely documented, diagnosed and treated. Training programs are necessary. Psychiatry has to play a more active role in planning and performing these programs.

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