Background: Suicide is the second leading cause of death for adolescents age 15-19 in the United States and ingestion/poisoning hospitalizations continue to rise. In order to better understand this population, we investigated characteristics of adolescent poisoning hospitalizations including patient factors as well as ingestion history. Methods: Retrospective study of adolescent patients (aged 12-18) hospitalized to [...]

Background: The economic burden of illness for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) with suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempt (SA) can be attributed to the intensive level of care required, as these patients are frequently evaluated in the emergency department (ED) and admitted to the hospital. This study evaluated this burden of hospitalized patients [...]

Background: Patients hospitalized for major depressive disorder (MDD) with suicidal ideation (SI) or suicide attempt (SA) may have a high risk for hospital readmission. This study evaluated readmission/subsequent emergency department (ED) visit rates and the associated healthcare resource use and costs among patients who were hospitalized for MDD with SI or SA (SI/SA). Methods: Patients [...]

Background: Availability of acute medical services (e.g., emergency department, intensive care unit) has been associated with adverse clinical outcomes. The association between acute psychiatric inpatient beds and suicide has not been well described. In the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), suicide rates among veterans have increased despite mental health care investments. Our objective was to examine [...]

Background: One out of every 5 teens has had mental illness with severe impairment in their lifetime. Furthermore, from 2008-2015 the number of hospitalizations for suicidal ideation (SI)/suicide attempt (SA) more than tripled and the percentage of all hospitalizations doubled for SI/SA across 31 children’s hospitals. Given the increasing burden observed in the hospital setting, [...]

Case Presentation: We present 2 amalgamated, anonymized patient cases, based on 5 ethics consults requested at a single tertiary care hospital over the past 4 years. In the first case, Ms. M, an 89 year old woman with a past history of severe COPD, debilitating chronic back pain, and recent imaging findings suggestive of a [...]

Background: Suicide attempt and self-injury (SA/SI) are frequent reasons for medical hospitalizations, yet little is known about length of stay (LOS) among youth hospitalized for SA/SI. LOS is commonly used to measure quality of patient care and resource use within hospitals, and a comprehensive understanding of factors associated with LOS among youth admitted for SA/SI [...]

Case Presentation: Background: Diquat is an active ingredient found in many herbicides, it is rare but a serious cause of poisoning.1 Diquat poisoning often occurs as a result of an accident or suicide attempt.2 Despite its potency, diquat poisoning is relatively rare, with only 30 cases reported in the United States between 1968 and 1999.3 However, the mortality rate was [...]