Profile of Psychiatric Patients Presenting to a Tertiary Care Emergency Department of Karachi

This study reviewed the presentations of psychiatric patients admitted through the Emergency Department (ED), The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi. Psychiatric patients admitted through the ED to the psychiatry ward were compared to those admitted through the same units other than the psychiatry ward, from 2006 to 2010 using medical records. Psychiatric patients were defined as those in whom psychiatry consult was generated and 1127 cases were included in study. There were 550 (48.8%) female patients. Most common presentations in the ED were sleep-related problems (n=205, 15.9%) followed by aggressive behavior (n= 191, 14.8%). Depression was the most common diagnosis made in the ED (n= 331, 29.3%) and at the time of discharge from the hospital (n= 354, 29.5%). Psychiatric patients presenting to the ED had signs and symptoms which one generally disregards. However, these minor indicators can lead to major events in a patient's life.