Do you have an interest in human behaviour? Did you go into medicine to speak to patients? Are you looking for variety in your work? Do you want to make a difference in people’s lives? Then Psychiatry could be for you! Why Psychiatry? Psychiatry is a wonderful speciality for anyone who has an interest in
The mental state examination (MSE) is an observational assessment of a patient’s appearance, behaviours and cognitive state. It has seven domains that need to be assessed in order to complete a full examination. When completed correctly, the mental state examination should allow the reader to obtain an exact picture of the patient in their mind.
At times as a junior doctor, you will be faced with the management of patients displaying aggression. There are many causes for aggressive behaviour, from pain to frustration at delays in medical care, and it should be thought of as a way of expressing distress. It is therefore important to try to understand the cause
What is the MHA? It is legislation that governs patients’ Compulsory detention Treatment Discharge Aftercare It can be used to hospitalise patients that have a mental illness which: Requires assessment or treatment and Poses a threat to the self or others and Results in the patient not being able to consent There are various Sections
Frequently patients wish to self-discharge from hospitals. This article pertains to adult patients only (18y+) and these patients can be broadly split into three groups: Reminder on Capacity Do read the GMC guidance on capacity, which reminds us that patients have presumed capacity. Thus patients need to have a ‘disease of mind or brain’ before
As an FY1, you will encounter these either during clerking shifts or you may look after them on the ward. As it is quite common, the information below is to help give you an overview. For management, use Toxbase, the login should be on your trust intranet or from A&E. The app allows you to sign
Acute confusion, otherwise known as delirium, is very common in hospitals: 20-30% on medical wards, and between 10-50% of those that have surgery develop delirium. Types of Delirium Hyperactive – agitated, delusions, hallucinations, aggression Hypoactive – harder to spot – lethargy, psychomotor retardation, excessive sleeping, inattention – often misdiagnosed as depression Mixed Predisposing factors Previous
The most common place you will see a patient who has self-harmed is in ED, where they have been referred to the psychiatry team but need to be medically cleared. Rarely this could occur on the ward but the format is still vastly the same. Here are some tips on how to manage this. History
