Pre- and postoperative management for schizophrenic patients in a medical psychiatry unit

Forty-six schizophrenic patients underwent surgery for a comorbid condition under general anesthesia at the Tachikawa Hospital MPU (Medical Psychiatry Unit) between May 1995 and April 1997. Before and after each surgery, the chief psychiatrist evaluated psychiatric symptoms using the PANSS (positive and negative syndrome scale) in addition to the patient's level of comprehension and cooperation. Generally speaking, a patient's condition was not more likely to worsen postoperatively when their preoperative condition was poor, nor was the converse true. Therefore, postoperative changes could not be predicted from preoperative symptoms. The significance of the MPU in the treatment of comorbid conditions is discussed in light of these findings.