Pregnant Women Presenting to Psychiatric Emergency Services: A Retrospective Chart Review from India

Managing psychiatric emergencies during pregnancy is often challenging, as the safety of both the mother and the unborn fetus needs to be considered. This study aimed to examine the nature of psychiatric emergencies in pregnancy, their management, and clinical outcomes in women presenting to a psychiatry emergency room (ER).

Charts of perinatal women consulting psychiatry ER between January 2016 and June 2021 were reviewed for the nature of the psychiatric emergency, pregnancy details, psychiatric symptoms, sociodemographic information, medical comorbidities, clinical diagnosis, and care plan.

Among 286 perinatal women who attended psychiatry ER, 57 (19.9%) patients were pregnant. Over half (n = 30, 52.6%) women were multiparous and in their second trimester (n = 29, 50.9%). Bipolar disorder (n = 22, 38.6%) was the most common diagnosis. Agitation/aggression (n = 34, 59.6%) was the most common reason for visiting ER, with risk of self-harm (n = 14, 24.6%) and risk of harm to the fetus (n = 7, 12.3%) being other reasons. Emergency psychotropic medications were used in 32 (56.1%) women, with the use of haloperidol in combination with promethazine (n = 12, 37.5%) or lorazepam (n = 8, 25%) being the most common.

One-fifth of women in the perinatal period presenting to the ER were pregnant. Agitation and aggression were the most common reasons. Parenteral medications were commonly used, and more than a fifth required inpatient care, emphasizing the seriousness of risk.