Patient Safety in Psychiatry-Case Vignette

Video Transcription

Video Summary

In this video, a 29-year-old man with a history of depression and possible psychosis is brought to the emergency department after being found unconscious and unresponsive at home. His examination reveals potentially dangerous heart rhythms, including tachycardia and prolonged QT interval. It is suspected that he has overdosed on his prescribed medications, tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline, and antipsychotic medication risperidone, as a suicide attempt. The patient is treated with activated charcoal to absorb the drugs and a bicarbonate drip to suppress overdose-related arrhythmias. Fortunately, he survives without life-threatening arrhythmias and is transferred to an inpatient psychiatric ward. Suicide prevention measures and proper management of psychiatric medications are crucial to avoid such incidents.

Keywords

depression

psychosis

emergency department

overdose

suicide prevention