[Comparative analysis about hospitalization characteristics in the mental health unit of a general acute care hospital].

INTRODUCTION

In Argentina, like in the rest of the world, deinstitutionalization policies have been implemented. In our country, the shortage of epidemiologic data regarding admissions in mental health is a limitation for the discussion about how this changes should be implemented and its effect.

OBJECTIVES

Epidemiologic data of inpatients of the Mental Health Unit of the Teodoro Álvarez General Hospital between June 2012 and May 2013 has been analyzed in order to elaborate a comparative analysis with a previous study that took place in the same unit on the years 2004-2005.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

This is naturalistic, descriptive and retrospective study about adult male inpatients admitted in the psychopathology ward of the Álvarez Hospital. Data was taken from the patient's medical history report.

RESULTS

There were 51 hospitalizations during the study (versus 82 hospitalizations in the previous one). The average age was 34.4 years. The average patient hospitalization was 46.2 days (versus 45.4), 84% (vs 89.7%) of hospitalizations lasted less than 90 days, although there was an increase in hospitalization that lasted between 90 and 179 days (7.3% vs 13.7%). The most frequent reason for hospitalization was acute psychotic syndrome, 62.7% (versus 48.8%) of the patients had previous psychiatric hospitalizations. The most frequent diagnosis at discharge were: 38.4% schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders (vs 38.1%), 21.5% personality disorders (vs 25%), 17% mood disorders (vs 17.7%), 15.4% substance use related (vs 22.1%).

CONCLUSION

There has been a considerable decrease (from 82 to 51) in the total number of hospitalizations and also a decrease in the BTR (bed turnover ratio) from 4.1 to 2.6 and an increase in hospitalizations with a duration superior to 90 days and inferior to 179 days.