Emergency Department Handbook: Children and Adolescents with Mental Health Problems

Abstract

Many emergency medicine practitioners who regularly see children and adolescents will identify with the potential difficulties associated with management of their mental health and behavioural problems.e mm_1316 358The Royal College of Psychiatrists (UK) have developed this well-written handbook in an attempt to provide emergency medicine practitioners with some of the skills and knowledge required to manage these children effectively.The first six of the thirteen chapters are particularly relevant to Australasian practice. The introductory chapters provide an excellent summary of the child and adolescent considerations associated with the assessment and management of mental health presentations in the emergency department environment.The following three chapters provide short summaries of each mental health and behavioural condition and presentation, utilizing practical lists and tables to great effect. Included within these chapters is a common-sense approach to the patient with an autisticspectrum disorder; the adolescent with self-harm; the management of medication side effects; and the management of violent behaviour. All are of particular interest.The second half of the book discusses issues more specific to the UK practitioner. There is a review of the UK Mental Health and Child Protection system and also a discussion of the framework of the pertinent local legislation.The Australasian emergency medicine practitioner will find much that is useful to in this book, which provides a common-sense approach to assessment and management of these often-difficult cases.