|
Abstract
|
OBJECTIVE: Following a suicide attempt, patients usually reach to an emergency department for treatment. The aim of this study is, to determine the demographic features of the suicide attempt patients, who entered to a university hospital emergency department in one-year period, following a suicide attempt.
METHOD: All attempted suicide patients admitted to Akdeniz University Hospital Emergency Department between 01.09.2006 and 30.09.2007 participated to the study. Demographic features have been extracted from patient's records retrospectively.
FINDINGS: A total of 90 patients were enrolled to the study. Most of the patients were female (65 patients, 72%) and 25 patients were male (28%). Most frequent age group was 16-24 (57%). Common suicide attempt method was drug overdose (79 patients, %88). 26 patients (29%) had a psychiatric disorder diagnosis in the past medical history, and 15 patients (17%) had a previous suicide attempt. Many patients in the study group (53 patients, 59%) were unemployed or earning low payments (0-500 YTL). All patients in the study were received a psychiatry consultation in the emergency department. After all evaluations, 56 patients (62%) were discharged from emergency department, 25 patients (28%) were hospitalized in internal medicine/intensive care unit and 2 patients (2%) were hospitalized in psychiatry department.
DISCUSSION and Conclusion: It is well known that suicide attempters have non-compliance with recommended aftercare. Therefore the emergency care features of these patients are very important. Current suicidal thoughts, history of attempts, severe depressive and psychotic symptoms and insufficient social supports point out high risk for the patients. These high risk patients should be referred to psychiatric consultation in the emergency department and if possible, they should be hospitalized for observation and treatment.
Language: tr |