[Somatic diseases in inpatient treatment of psychiatric patients]

This is a report on the frequency of somatic diseases in patients treated in regional psychiatric units (14471 courses of treatment). In 33.2% of all episodes (n = 4803) the psychiatrist diagnosed a somatic illness which was classified according to ICD-9. Most frequently quoted were diseases of the heart and the circulatory system (8.43% of all episodes), the nervous system (5.30%) and metabolic and endocrine disorders (5.17%). Distinct correlations between the rate of somatic morbidity and the variables age, sex and psychiatric diagnosis were found. In 4.04% of all episodes (n = 583) patients had to be transferred in a nonpsychiatric unit. 190 deaths were recorded, 18 of them in patients below the age of 65 years. The findings of this study show that hospitalized psychiatric patients are in need not only of psychiatric but also of medical care. A corroboration of this conclusion by further data is desirable.