Causes of Death in an Acute Psychiatric Inpatient Unit of a Portuguese General Hospital

• Main Author: Barbosa, S
• Publication Date: 2016
• Other Authors: Sequeira, M, Castro, S, Manso, RT, Klut, C, Trancas, B, Santos, NB, Maia, T
• Format: Article
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Download full: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.10/1818
• topic: Cause of death; Hospital psychiatry department; Hospital Prof. Dr. Fernando Fonseca, E.P.E.; Portugal; Causas de morte; Serviço de psiquiatria

INTRODUCTION: Psychiatric patients are at increased risk of death from a number of natural and unnatural causes. This study examines the mortality causes of all psychiatric inpatients of an acute psychiatric unit at a general hospital in Portugal for sixteen years (1998 to 2013). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-one inpatients died at the inpatient unit between 1998 and 2013 (average 1.3 per year). A retrospective study through case-file review was carried to collect demographic characteristics, medical and psychiatry diagnosis. Patients transferred to other wards during their admission were not included. RESULTS: Circulatory system diseases were the most prevalent causes of death, occurring in 2/3 of patients and include pulmonary embolism (n = 6), acute stroke (n = 3), cardiac arrhythmia (n = 2), acute myocardial infarction (n = 1), abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture (n = 1) and heart failure (n = 1). Two patients died with pneumonia and in four cases the cause of death was undetermined. Only one case of suicide was registered. DISCUSSION: Circulatory conditions were the most frequent causes of death in our inpatient unit. Albeit a relatively rare event, inpatient suicide does occur and, in addition to its complex consequences on staff, family and patients should remain a focus for continued prevention. CONCLUSION: Mortality studies are important for determining quality of health care and to create recommendations for preventive measures.