TY  - JOUR
PY  - 1991//
TI  - Self-poisoning patients discharged from accident and emergency: risk factors and outcome
JO  - Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of London
A1  - Owens, David
A1  - Dennis, Michael
A1  - Jones, Shayne
A1  - Dove, A.
A1  - Dave, S.
SP  - 218
EP  - 222
VL  - 25
IS  - 3
N2  - In a prospective audit of 1,096 consecutive attendances by deliberate self-poisoning patients at an accident and emergency department (A&E), such patients were discharged directly from A&E on 31% of occasions. Outcome and risk were compared for patients admitted to hospital and discharged directly from A&E. In the following year repetition of self-poisoning occurred in the same proportions of patients admitted to hospital and discharged from A&E (12%, relative risk 1.02). Suicide during the following three years occurred in 1.3% of patients admitted and 1.1% of those discharged (relative risk 1.2). Patients admitted to hospital from A&E were those likely to be at greater risk: they were older, reported more physical ill-health, expressed a threat or left a note more often, and had more frequently experienced psychiatric inpatient care. Thus, nearly one-third of deliberate self-poisoning attenders were discharged from A&E; outcomes were similar despite higher risk among admitted patients, suggesting that brief admission has some benefit.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0035-8819
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -