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[Munchausen syndrome]

J E Tuxøe1, K J Mikines, H Tønnesen

  • 1Amager Hospital, ortopaedkirurgisk afdeling.

Ugeskrift for Laeger
|November 6, 1998
PubMed
Summary

A patient with Münchhausen's syndrome repeatedly sought treatment for testicular issues, undergoing numerous operations. Improved computer systems could help identify and treat such patients, preventing unnecessary medical interventions.

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Area of Science:

  • Urology
  • Medical Informatics
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Münchhausen's syndrome is a factitious disorder where individuals feign illness.
  • Patients with this syndrome often have extensive and complex interactions with healthcare systems.
  • Testicular problems can be a focus for individuals with Münchhausen's syndrome.

Observation:

  • A 43-year-old male patient had 95 treatments for testicular problems across 45 hospitals since 1984.
  • This included 36 surgical operations for testicular torsion.
  • Existing computer record systems only prevented one unnecessary operation.

Findings:

  • The patient's extensive medical history was not effectively utilized to prevent repeated, unnecessary procedures.
  • A single instance of computer system intervention successfully averted an unnecessary operation.
  • The potential for computer systems to flag patients with Münchhausen's syndrome was demonstrated.

Implications:

  • Implementing specific alarms in electronic health records could identify patients with Münchhausen's syndrome.
  • Such alerts could facilitate timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment for factitious disorders.
  • Improved data sharing and analysis within healthcare systems can prevent iatrogenic harm and optimize patient care.

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