Indicators of Complex Care During the Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Activity at the Transplant Center of the Policlinico Hospital, Modena

Is Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry 'Getting Old'? How Psychiatry Referrals in the General Hospital Have Changed over 20 Years

There is an ever-growing awareness of the health-related special needs of older patients, and Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Services (CLPS) are significantly involved in providing such age-friendly hospital care. CLPS perform psychiatric assessment for hospitalized patients with suspected medical-psychiatric comorbidity and support ward teams in a bio-psycho-social oriented care management. Changes in features of the population referred to a CLPS over a 20-year course were analysed and discussed, especially comparing older and younger referred subjects. Epidemiological and clinical data from all first psychiatric consultations carried out at the Modena (North of Italy) University Hospital CLPS in the period 2000–2019 (N = 19,278) were included; two groups of consultations were created according to the age of patients: OV65 (consultations for patients older than 64 years) and NONOV65 (all the rest of consultations). Consultations for OV65 were about 38.9% of the total assessments performed, with an average of approximately 375 per year, vs. the 589 performed for NOV65. The number of referrals for older patients significantly increased over the 20 years. The mean age and the male/female ratio of the sample changed significantly across the years in the whole sample as well as both among OV65 and NOV65. Urgent referrals were more frequent among NOV65 and the rate between urgent/non urgent referrals changed differently in the two subgroups. The analysis outlined recurring patterns that should guide future clinical, training and research activities.

Clinical Features and Long-Term Outcomes of Living Donors of Liver Transplantation Who Developed Psychiatric Disorders

BACKGROUND In the field of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), it is important to ensure donor's psychological well-being. We report on clinical features and long-term outcomes of LDLT donors who developed psychiatric disorders after their donor operations. Additionally, we compare patient backgrounds, as well as surgical and perioperative aspects between LDLT donors with and without postoperative psychiatric complications. MATERIAL AND METHODS Between November 1998 and March 2018, we identified 254 LDLT donors at our hospital. Among these, we investigated those who had newly developed psychiatric complications and required psychiatric treatment after donor operation. RESULTS The median duration of follow-up was 4 years. Sixty-five donors were lost to follow-up. Eight donors (3.1%) developed postoperative psychiatric complications, including major depressive disorder in 4, panic disorder in 2, conversion disorder and panic disorder in 1, and adjustment disorder in 1. The median duration from donor surgery to psychiatric diagnosis was 104.5 days (range, 12 to 657 days) and the median treatment duration was 18 months (range, 3 to 168 months). Of those, 3 donors required psychiatric treatment over 10 years, and 4 donors remained under treatment. The duration of hospital stay after donor operation was significantly longer and perioperative complications with Clavien classification greater than grade IIIa were more frequent in donors with psychiatric complications than in those without psychiatric complications (P=0.02 and P=0.006, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment for psychiatric disorders by psychiatrists and psychologists are important during LDLT donor follow-up. Minimization of physiological complications might be important to prevent postoperative psychiatric complications in LDLT donors.

Stability of Psychiatric Diagnoses in Candidates to Liver Transplantation Referred to a Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Service

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the stability over time of the psychiatric diagnoses among candidates to liver transplantation referred to a consultation-liaison psychiatric service.

METHOD

Descriptive study, carried out at the Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Service (CLPS) placed at the Modena (Italy) General University Hospital. All patients waiting for liver transplantation and repeatedly referred to the CLPS were enrolled. The observation period was from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2013. Pearson's coefficients were calculated to measure diagnostic stability (index referral vs. last referral).

RESULTS

One hundred patients were assessed (males 67%; mean age 53 ± 7 years old). The mean number of referrals for patients was 3 ± 2. The stability rate of psychiatric diagnosis was 64%. The following diagnoses or conditions were all significantly stable (i.e., all featured by r > 0.5 and p < 0.05): Adjustment disorder, depressive disorder, comorbid anxiety/depressive disorder, substance use disorder (including alcohol), absence of any disorder, and presence of any disorder.

CONCLUSIONS

The good level of diagnostic stability displayed in the sample may be a function of the clinical and organizational "style" of the CLPS, namely the focus on identifying the prevailing personality traits, defensive mechanisms, and relational patterns.