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Review
. 2016 Sep;17(5):600-6.
doi: 10.5811/westjem.2016.6.30179. Epub 2016 Jul 19.

The Peregrinating Psychiatric Patient in the Emergency Department

Scott A Simpson  1 , Jagoda Pasic  2
Affiliations
Review

The Peregrinating Psychiatric Patient in the Emergency Department

Scott A Simpson et al. West J Emerg Med. 2016 Sep.

Abstract

Many emergency department (ED) psychiatric patients present after traveling. Although such travel, or peregrination, has long been associated with factitious disorder, other diagnoses are more common among travelers, including psychotic disorders, personality disorders, and substance abuse. Travelers' intense psychopathology, disrupted social networks, lack of collateral informants, and unawareness of local resources complicate treatment. These patients can consume disproportionate time and resources from emergency providers. We review the literature on the emergency psychiatric treatment of peregrinating patients and use case examples to illustrate common presentations and treatment strategies. Difficulties in studying this population and suggestions for future research are discussed.

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Article selection flow chart. ED, emergency department
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