Do All Adult Psychiatric Patients Need Routine Laboratory Evaluation and an Electrocardiogram?
Brit Long1, Samuel M Keim2, Marian Betz3
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
Background:
Acute psychiatric presentations account for a significant number of emergency department (ED) visits. These patients require assessment by the emergency physician and often need further evaluation by a psychiatrist, who may request routine laboratory evaluation and an electrocardiogram (ECG).
Clinical Question:
Do all adult psychiatric patients need routine laboratory evaluation and an ECG?
Evidence Review:
Studies retrieved included 2 prospective, observational studies and 7 retrospective studies. These studies evaluate the utility of laboratory analysis in all patients presenting a psychiatric complaint and its impact on patient management and disposition.
Conclusion:
Based upon the available literature, routine laboratory analysis and ECG for all patients presenting with a psychiatric complaint are not recommended. Clinicians should consider the individual patient, clinical situation, and comorbidities when deciding to obtain further studies such as laboratory analysis. © 2022 Elsevier Inc.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Dysrhythmias V: Evaluating Dysrhythmias
01:30Pulse rhythm
Conversely, an irregular pulse pattern is termed dysrhythmia, stemming from disruptions in cardiac...
01:29Electrocardiogram
Three major waveforms are present in a typical ECG recording: the P wave, the QRS complex, and...
01:25ECG Interpretation of Arrhythmias II: Atrial, Junctional and Ventricular Arrhythmias
01:30Electroconvulsive Therapy
01:28Electrocardiogram Fundamentals
An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a diagnostic tool for identifying cardiac conditions such as arrhythmias, conduction abnormalities, and myocardial ischemia.
Definition
An electrocardiogram (ECG) visualizes the heart's electrical activity by tracing the electrical movement associated with each heartbeat on a graph or monitor. As the heart beats, an electrical wave passes through it, correlating with the cardiac cycle events.
Parts of an ECG
An ECG utilizes electrodes on the skin...