Other Psychiatric Emergencies:
1) Psychotropic Drug Withdrawal Abrupt cessation of antipsychotic, benzodiazepines result in symptoms of withdrawal including abdominal pain, insomnia, drowsiness, agitation, anxieiy, weakness, chills, delirium and in the extreme with benzodiazepines. Symptoms of psychotropic drug withdrawal disappears with time and disappears with reinstitution of the drug. Symptoms of antidepressant withdrawal can be successfully treated with anti cholinergic agents such as atropine.
2) AIDS Associated Emergencies:
AIDS related psychiatric emergencies include changes in behavior secondary to illness due to infection with lymph adenopathy associated virus (LAV, Human T-Lymphocytic virus - 3rd [H+]).
Depression, anxiety. suicidal ideation and attempts, delusions, denial, sexual promiscuity, relative psychosis, hypochondriasis, mutism, agitation, restlessness, psychomotor retardation.
Treatment: Evaluation and management of suicide risk and treatment of reversible organic illness are first task in emergency situation. High potency low dose antipsychotic (example 2 mg haloperidol) is used to counter agitation.
Nursing care: Consc-ious and unconscious fear of contamination or stigmatization leads family and others to withdraw from patients with AIDS. That can result in a depressive crisis severe enough to provoke suicide. Peer support groups, provision of information and enhancement of social supports are effective at times of crisis.
3) Adolescent Crisis:
Adolescents presenting crisis due to suicidal ideation or attempts are, due to decline in school performance, truancy, difficulty with the law, pregnancy, abortion, alcoholism, running away, eating disorders and psychosis
Treatment Adolescent crisis is always a family problem of suicidal potential, extent of substance use. Immediate management of crisis entails crisis oriented family therapy and individual therapy. When appropriate Hospitalization may be required. While all adolescent crisis represent family problems and require a family approach, not all families are responsible for the behavioral aberrations, pressure (particularly with substance use and suicide) and genetic factors may be responsible.