Diagnostic category and disposition decisions in patients referring to psychiatric emergency yard of golestan hospital in ahvaz: An epidemiologic study

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic category and disposition decisions in patients referring to psychiatric emergency from an epidemiologic point of view. This was a descriptive/analytic cross-sectional study carried out on 399 patients referring to psychiatric emergency of Golestan Hospital in Ahvaz, Iran, 2014. Demographic data and data regarding source of referral, diagnosis and final disposition decision were recorded. The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and chi-square test. Statistical analysis were carried out using SPSS version 16. Twenty percent of patients were diagnosed with medical disorders, 76% of patients received diagnosis of psychiatric disorders and 15 patients (4%) didn’t receive any identified diagnosis. Forty six percent of patients discharged, 24% of them referred and 30% of them hospitalized. Among the patients with psychiatric diagnoses, 30.39% have psychotic disorders, 26.47% have major depression disorder, 21.56% diagnosed bipolar disorder, 6.86% have substance related disorders and finally 3.92% of patients received diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder. Diagnoses of remaining ones were not known. The results showed that there was relationship between diagnostic category and disposition of the patients (χ2 = 27.4, df = 6, p<0.001). There was a reasonable relationship between diagnostic category and final disposition decisions; therefore performance of Golestan Hospital has been appropriate.