Psychiatric emergencies in the general hospital

Using a psychiatric consultation data base, 1257 referrals were classified into "stat" (14%), "today" (44%), and "routine" (42%) status of urgency. "Stat" referrals compared to the "today" and "routine" group were more likely to be male, highly educated, and 20-39 years old or over 80 years of age. The "stat" group was referred more often for the management of behavior and suicide risk evaluation, and received more diagnoses of organic mental disorders than the other referrals. An increased number of "stat" patients required constant observation on the medical/surgical ward, narcotic or neuroleptic administration, and inpatient psychiatric treatment.