Abstract
Typical consult question “Evaluate the patient for possible organ transplantation.” Background Transplantation has become a standard procedure for end-stage organ disease. In 2008, 27,961 organ transplants were performed in the United States, with 6217 of those transplants coming from living donors. Organ transplantation has been demonstrated to extend survival and improve quality of life for the majority of recipients. Under ideal circumstances, a psychosocial evaluation would consist of a multi-disciplinary, multi-visit assessment that would provide the transplant team with an accurate picture of the patient's psychiatric and social history. More often, psychosocial evaluations involve single visits, particularly when patients present acutely ill and in need of transplantation. Depending on the severity of their condition, they may have a difficult time answering questions or providing adequate history (e.g., intubation, encephalopathy, pain); therefore ancillary sources of information (i.e., family members, healthcare providers) must be included. Although the request to see the patient may be related primarily to concerns about a specific psychiatric disorder, the consultant should attempt to evaluate all relevant aspects of the case. Ultimately, the goals of the psychosocial evaluation are to identify potential problems or risk factors that may interfere with successful post-transplant outcomes, and then to help the team actively address these issues.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Psychosomatic Medicine |
| Subtitle of host publication | An Introduction to Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| Pages | 210-215 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9780511776878 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780521106658 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2010 |
Funding
THIS book has the imprimatur of the “Psychiatry Panel” of an American body termed the “Behavioral and Social Sciences Survey Committee”, set up under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences and the Social Science Research Council. A short historical review of American Psychiatry is followed by three chapters on selected research topics-such as schizophrenia, psychotherapy, and the development of aggressive behavior-and a final section containing recommendations for administrative action. British readers will probably find the chapters on research of most interest. These read more like first class answers to DPM examination questions than academic review articles, presumably because the book is partly aimed at “the intelligent layman”. British psychiatrists may enjoy reading an electric American account of the psychiatric scene which is official; but if well informed they are unlikely to find much that is new to them. The book seems rather expensive.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Medicine