[Liaison psychiatry in a general hospital: seven paradigmatic cases].

Through the use of case reports, this article reviews frequent causes that origin the need for psychiatric intervention in patients hospitalized in medical and surgical wards. Particular diagnosis aspects are focused, so is the necessity of integration of the biological, psychological and social dimensions of the patient. The integrated approach by the various members of the medical staff is also emphasised. The cases presented were observed in the Liaison Psychiatry Consult of the Psychiatry Service of Hospital Santa Maria, in Lisbon, between November 2007 and January 2008. Seven cases were selected because they reflect paradigms in the intervention of the Liaison Psychiatrist, and reflect the following psychiatric diagnosis: Panic Disorder; Paranoid Schizophrenia; Bipolar Disorder; Personality Disorder; Major Depression, Dementia and Abstinence Syndrome.