Psychiatry
Caring for Adult Patients with Suicide Risk
Mental health evaluations provided during the ED visit should include comprehensive suicide risk assessment. The SAFE-T Guide, developed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), may be used in conjunction with the Decision Support Tool to meet this objective.
Alcohol withdrawal – the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment of Alcohol Scale, Revised (CIWA-Ar)
For those dealing with alcohol withdrawal in Kenya…the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment of Alcohol Scale, Revised (CIWA-Ar) objectifies alcohol withdrawal symptoms to help guide therapy;
- patients should be scored every 2 hours;
- frequently treatment begins with benzodiazepines when CIWA-Ar scores reach 8-10, with standing or as needed dosing for scores 10-20
- consider transfer to the ICU for scores >20.
