Consultation Referrals of Neuro-Psychiatric Inpatients to Other Departments

Keimyung Medical Journal 1983;2(2):160-165.

신경정신과 입원환자의 타과 자문에 대한 연구

박종한

Abstract

The author conducted a study on consultation referrals of 78 neuro-psychiatric inpatients with physical complaints to other clinical departments through making investigations into answer sheets made by consultant physicians during the period of Jan. 1，1981 to Dec. 31’ 1981, and summarizes the results as follows： 1. The frequency of consultation was one to two times in almost all cases, however, some patients were consulted even five times. 2. Consulted departments were dermatology (28.8%), ophthalmology (18.4%), internal medicine (16.8%), dentistry(12.0%), otolaryngology (8.0%), neurosurgery (4.8%), urology (4.8%)，and others, 3. Diagnostic classifications of physical disorders among the neuro-psychiatric inpatients were mainly cutaneous diseases (25.5%), eye diseases (12,8%), and dental diseases (12.8%). Also in about one fifth of the consulted patients no pathological finding was identified and no confirmed diagnosis was made, and many cutaneous diseases (13 of 36) were allergic dermatitis related to psychotropic medications. 4. More than half (56.7%) received conservative treatment’ 9. 9% were surgically operated, 2.1% transferred to other departments for medico-surgical treatments, and no specific treatment was needed in 31.3%. Of 14 surgically operated patients, 11 were taken care of by dentists.