Chapter 22 Psychiatric Emergencies

Question 1

Activities of daily living

Answer 1

The basic activities a person usually accomplishes during a normal day, such as eating, dressing, and bathing

Question 2

Altered mental status

Answer 2

A change in the way a person thinks and behaves that may signal disease in the central nervous system or elsewhere in the body

Question 3

Behavior

Answer 3

How a person functions or acts in response to his or her environment

Question 4

Behavioral crisis

Answer 4

The point at which a person’s reactions to events interfere with activities of daily living; this becomes a psychiatric emergency when it causes a major life interruption, such as attempted suicide

Question 5

Depression

Answer 5

A persistent mood of sadness, despair, and discouragement; may be a symptom of many different mental and physical disorders, or it may be a disorder on its own

Question 6

Excited delirium

Answer 6

A serious behavioral condition in which a person exhibits agitated behavior combined with disorientation, hallucinations, or delusions; also called agitated delirium or exhaustive mania

Question 7

Functional disorder

Answer 7

A disorder in which there is no known physiological reason for the abnormal functioning of an organ or organ system

Question 8

Organic brain syndrome

Answer 8

Temporary or permanent dysfunction of the brain, caused by a disturbance in the physical or physiologic functioning of the brain tissue

Question 9

Positional asphyxia

Answer 9

Restriction of chest wall movements and/or airway obstruction; can rapidly lead to sudden-death

Question 10

Posttraumatic stress disorder

Answer 10

A delayed the stress reaction that develops after a horrifying ordeal that involve the physical harm or the threat of physical harm

Question 11

Psychiatric disorder

Answer 11

And illness with psychological or behavioral symptoms and/or impairment in functioning caused by a social, psychological, genetic, physical, chemical, or biologic disturbance

Question 12

Psychiatric emergency

Answer 12

And emergency in which abnormal behavior threatens a person’s own health and safety or the health and safety of another person, for example when a person becomes suicidal, homicidal, or has a psychotic episode

Question 13

Psychosis

Answer 13

A mental disorder characterized by the loss of contact with reality

Question 14

Schizophrenia

Answer 14

A complex, difficult to identify mental disorder who’s onset typically occurs during early adulthood. Symptoms typically become more prominent overtime and include delusions, hallucinations, a lack of interest in pleasure, and erratic speech