Consultation-liaison psychiatry in Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate common problems in consultation-liaison psychiatry, characteristics of consulted patients, and medical and psychiatric diagnoses of the patients in Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital. Methods: We performed a retrospective descriptive study from June 2005 to August 2006. All participants were medically ill inpatients who consulted for psychiatric problems. The authors reviewed the demographic data such as age, sex, ward, systemic disease, medical disease, psychiatric provisional diagnosis and psychiatric diagnosis. Results: Four hundreds patients were consulted for psychiatric evaluation, 0.82 % of all general hospital inpatients, 235 (58.8 %) males and 165 (41.2 %) females. The modal age group was between 20 - 49 years old (58.8 %) mostly referred by the department of internal medicine and surgery. At discharge, common diagnoses were adjustment disorder (35.0 %), delirium (32.5 %), substance-related disorders (17.0 %), depressive disorders (13.3 %), and psychotic disorders (4.3 %). Sensitivity rates for diagnosis of these psychiatric disorders were 12.1%, 50.8%, 75 %, 43.4% and 64.7% respectively. Conclusion: Patients with high suicidal risk, in particular adjustment and depressive disorders are common in consultation-liaison psychiatry. Attention should also be given to patients with high risks of aggression, disruption, or disorganization, such as delirium, substance abuse, and psychotic disorders.