[Psychopharmacological treatment of bipolar disorder in Latin American].

Objective: This study assessed the treatment preferences among Latin-American psychiatrists for their bipolar disorder patients and if these preferences reflect the current guidelines.

Methods: We designed a survey comprised of fourteen questions. All the questions were aimed at the treatment of bipolar I patients only.

Association of depression with agitation in elderly nursing home residents.

Agitation is a serious problem for elderly individuals with dementia. It is often the major reason for admission to a restrictive environment such as a nursing home or hospital. The objectives of the current study were to (1) identify the components of agitation embedded in the Psychogeriatric Dependency Rating Scale (PGDRS) and (2) find race, gender, depression, and cognitive deficits associated with the factors extracted from the PGDRS in demographic variables and clinical variables.

The association between decreasing length of stay and readmission rate on a psychogeriatric unit.

Objective: This study investigated whether there was an association between decreasing length of stay and readmission rate on a psychogeriatric unit.

Methods: Discharge summaries were reviewed for all 1,099 admissions to a university hospital psychogeriatric unit from January 1993 through December 1997. Data were collected for all 77 patients who were readmitted within 30 days of a previous discharge and for an equal number of randomly selected patients who were not readmitted.