Medical events in SARS-Cov-2 infected psychiatric inpatients with and without pre-existing co-morbid medical conditions.

SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection can be associated with significant medical complications. This risk could be even higher in psychiatric patients due to an increased risk of medical co-morbidity. In addition, psychiatric patients are also vulnerable to acquiring SARS-CoV2 infection due to homelessness, living in crowded areas, and poor adherence to recommended preventive measures.

Impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection and implementation of infection prevention and control (IPC) measures on inpatient psychiatric units.

Psychiatric inpatients are at high risk of acquiring and transmitting communicable diseases such as SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). Via chart review, the authors examined a cohort of COVID-positive psychiatric inpatients admitted between March and June of 2020, early in the pandemic, to Valleywise Health Medical Center (VMHC), in Arizona, USA. The goal was to assess the ways in which the virus itself as well as infection prevention and control (IPC) measures affected psychiatric inpatients.

COVID-19 Infection in an Inpatient Psychiatric Hospital Setting: Demographics, Outcomes, and Impact on Well-being.

The mental health community expected that seriously mentally ill (SMI) patients would be especially vulnerable to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection due to a higher medical comorbidity rate than the general population and disparities in access to medical care. Concern was voiced as to the impact on the psychiatric stability of this population due to anxiety about the pandemic, recommended isolation, and limited in-person interactions with treatment providers and support systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on a cohort of involuntarily hospitalized SMI patients.

Serious Mental Illness and Hospice Care.

There are a small number of articles in the literature discussing palliative and end-of-life care in the SMI population. Most tackle the questions relating to competency to refuse care in end-stage anorexia or terminal medical conditions. This is a case review of a 55 year old patient with a complex psychiatric and medical history, who despite extensive treatment and long hospitalizations has failed to regain any ability to care for her basic needs.

Barriers to Positively Impact Weight Gain in a Psychiatric Inpatient Unit.

Weight gain is a problematic issue for patients with serious mental illness. A previously published study found that hospitalized psychiatric patients gained over 6 lb in stays ≥ 30 days. Furthermore, hospital-wide changes to promote healthy eating were unsuccessful in stemming weight gain.

Weight Gain in Psychiatric Inpatients: Are Interventions Making a Positive Impact?

Objective: The negative impact of weight gain is a common problem facing all patients, but it is especially concerning in the seriously mentally ill population. The literature is replete with interventions to mitigate weight gain in this population; however, most focus on outpatient settings. This study was undertaken to quantify weight gain in an inpatient setting and to assess whether instituted interventions to reduce weight gain were effective.

Challenges in Obtaining HIV Testing in an Acute Involuntary Inpatient Psychiatric Setting.

Even in health care professions, a stigma remains for patients with co-occurring HIV and serious mental illness. Researchers at a large, urban medical center encountered this stigma when they attempted to initiate a study of cognition in psychiatric inpatients with and without HIV who were seen as vulnerable in the context of research. Education efforts and advocacy on the part of the research team was instrumental and resulted in system-wide changes in the hospital, including the addition of HIV testing to the psychiatric admission laboratory panel.

A guide to treating military personnel in a civilian mental health facility.

As the number of troops returning home from the Middle East continues to rise, so does the need for psychiatric treatment. More and more often, civilian mental health facilities will be faced with treating active duty service members. Because the patients are active duty status, civilian providers need to become familiar with the unique intricacies and challenges of interacting with military command and mental health clinics.

Infection control for MRSA in a psychiatric hospital.

Objective: This article examines the challenges in treating methicillin resistant Staphlococcus Aureus (MRSA) in an acute psychiatric inpatient unit.

Method: The article outlines a case study of one particularly difficult patient who presented to an acute psychiatric hospital with a large wound that was MRSA positive and reviews the dilemmas facing mental health providers.

Results: The outcome of the case presented suggests that hospital policies interfered with the psychiatric treatment and recovery of an acutely ill patient as well as create possibly unnecessary costs.

Civil commitment outcomes of incompetent defendants.

In Maricopa County, Arizona, most defendants who are found not competent and not restorable (NCNR) are admitted involuntarily to an acute-care inpatient hospital. Many of these patients would most likely not have met the State's usual admission criteria for acute inpatient care had they not been evaluated in relation to a criminal offense. Is this group treated differently from their peers who are not involved in the criminal justice system? We examined records for 293 NCNR admissions, retrospectively, to assess their admission status and the outcomes of their commitment.