MANIA DUE TO GENERAL MEDICAL CONDITIONS - FREQUENCY, TREATMENT, AND COST

Objective: Mania due to general medicine conditions may occur in patie nts in a variety of settings. Methods: We reviewed the charts of patie nts admitted to an adult psychiatric service over a nine-year period ( Jan. 1985 to Dec. 1993). Patients were diagnosed with Organic Affectiv e Syndrome (ICD-9 code 293.83) in 241 episodes (N = 227 patients). The re were forty-seven manic or mixed episodes in forty patients (0.72% o f all admissions). Results: When DSM-IV criteria for Mood Disorder due to a General Medical Condition manic or mixed type (MDGMC) was applie d, we found twenty-five patients with twenty-seven episodes (N = 30 tr eatment trials). irritable mood predominated in twenty-seven (90%) of the thirty trials. Conclusions: Treatment included anticonvulsants in 63 percent, neuroleptics 63 percent, and lithium 40 percent. Favorable responses to anticonvulsants were seen. however combination therapy w as used more frequently. Further research in this area is needed.