Characterisation of Substance-Dependent Patients that were Referred to the Liaison Psychiatry Team: Comparative Analysis Between 1997 and 2004
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25752/psi.6054Keywords:
Liaison Psychiatry, drug addictionAbstract
We compared the demographics and the clinical characteristics of the drug addict patients admitted to the medical and surgical wards of Hospital Fernando Fonseca referred to the Consultation Liaison Psychiatry (CL) service in the years 1997 and 2004. In this time frame, there was a reduction in the number of referrals, as well as in the number of patients that were actively consuming drugs before admission. A higher percentage of women, of patients from medical wards, and of patients with infectious diseases and HIV positive were referred to the CL service in 2004, compared with 1997. The mean age of referrals, and the rate of those that were followed in drug addiction outpatient clinics or were doing replacement therapy before being admitted were also higher in 2004. Based on the results presented, the role of the CL service in the treatment of the drug addict patients admitted to the general hospital is reviewed.
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