Introduction: The psychiatric emergency would be one situation or medical condition that a given moment generates a demand for attention and resolution assistance immediately as requested by the patient, family, other specialists ... In the last decade has objectified a change in the profile of patients attending psychiatric emergencies in Spain. Research papers published recently on this subject have an overwhelming agreement to maintain a change in the demand for care at psychiatric emergency units, characterized not only by the increase in these, but also by a series experienced as negative aspects (patients ´frequent repeaters´). (Teijeiro 2003, Centeno 2002, Vila Grifoll 2002). Objectives: Measure the importance of psychiatric problems in the emergency services of the CHUA and to describe the characteristics of patients who have access to these emergency services for the purpose of psychiatric treatment. Methods: 634 patients (52% females, mean age 35.4 +/-12.8 years) consecutively attended in June and July 2011 in emergency psychiatric service were assessed to sociodemographic variables, diagnosis and treatment plan. Results: 62.4% were referred from primary care, 65.4% were domiciled in Albacete, 42.1% had a psychiatric history. 21.3% not included in DSMIV diagnosis. 9.62% were admitted for observation, 12.61% admitted to an inpatient psychiatric ward. 1.1% came to more than 4 times the psychiatric emergency service. Treatment plan was not significantly related to the sociodemographic variables studied. Conclusions: An average of 10.39 patients per day is attended in emergency psychiatry CHUA. 1.1% would qualify as "frequent repeaters"

No abstract

Introduction: In the last decade has objectified a change in the profile of patients attending psychiatric emergencies in Spain. Research papers published recently on this subject have an overwhelming agreement to maintain a change in the demand for care at psychiatric emergency units, characterized not only by the increase in these, but also by a series experienced as negative aspects: patients ´frequent repeaters´, demands urgent assistance is not even considered not as a crisis. (Teijeiro 2003, Centeno 2002, Vila Grifoll 2002) Objectives: Measure the importance of psychiatric problems in the emergency services of the CHUA. Describe the characteristics of patients who have access to these emergency services. Methods: 634 patients (52% females, mean age 35.4 +/-12.8 years) consecutively attended in June-July 2011 in emergency psychiatric service of CHUA were assessed to sociodemographic variables, diagnosis and the treatment plan. Results: 62.4% were referred from primary care, 65.4% were domiciled in Albacete, 42.1% had a psychiatric history, 70% lived with a partner, 60.2% were being treated with psychotropic drugs. 21.3% received no diagnosis included in DSM-IV. 9.62% were admitted for observation, 12.61 admitted to an inpatient psychiatric ward. 1.1% came to more than 3 times the psychiatric emergency service. The treatment plan was not significantly related to the sociodemographic variables studied. Conclusions: An average of 10.39 patients per day is attended in emergency psychiatry CHUA. 1.1% would qualify as "frequent repeaters".