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Suicide

Irene Coletsos, MD and Harold J. Bursztajn, MD Reviewed 04/2024
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

Suicide and attempted suicide are significant causes of morbidity and mortality. 

EPIDEMIOLOGY

  • Women attempt suicide 1.5 times more often than men. Men complete suicide 3 times more of...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • Depressed patients should be asked about suicidal ideation and a potential plan:

    • “Have you ever felt that life isn’t worth living? Do you ever wish you could go to sleep and not wake u...

TREATMENT

GENERAL MEASURES

  • Patients expressing active suicidal thoughts or who made an attempt require immediate evaluation for risk factors and a formal psychiatric consultation.

  • Cognitive therapy decr...

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

Patient Monitoring

  • Increase monitoring at the beginning of treatment, when changing medications, and after hospital discharge.

  • Educate family and other close contac...

REFERENCES

1
Gonzalez-Rodriguez A, Molina-Andreu O, Navarro Odriozola V, et al. Suicidal Ideation and Suicidal Behavior in Delusional Disorder: A Clinical Overview. Psych J. 2014. doi: 10.1155/2014/834...

CODES

ICD10

  • R45.851 Suicidal ideations

  • T14.91 Suicide attempt

  • Z91.5 Personal history of self-harm

SNOMED

  • 44301001 Suicide (disorder)

  • 82313006 suicide attempt (event)

  • 267073005 Suicidal (finding)

  • 6471006 Suici...

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • Key preventative measure is to listen to patients and take steps to keep them safe. This could include immediate hospitalization.

  • Family and contacts of people who have attempted or com...

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