A comparison of gerontopsychiatric inpatients of a University Psychiatric Hospital (integrated care) and a Psychiatric State Hospital (separated care) in Germany. Part 2: Diagnosis and treatment

Objective: We wanted to study differences between geriatric psychiatric pat ients and their management in an integrated (with other adult age groups) c are in the University Psychiatric Hospital (PUK) compared to those in a sep arated (only according to age) care in the Psychiatric State Hospital (LKH) , which together treat all psychiatric inpatients in Goettingen, Germany. M ethod: We performed standardized chart reviews of randomly selected groups of patients, who had been treated in the PUK (n =151) and the LKH (n = 145) in the years 1991 and 1992. Results: Most patients of the LKH suffered fro m organic brain diseases/dementia (63.4%; PUK: 29.1 %). In the PUK, depress ion was the most frequent diagnosis (57.6 %; LKH: 21.1 %). A part of about 25 % of the patients showed neurological deficits. Specialised diagnostics were performed mostly in the PUK. Both institutions treated the wide majori ty of patients with CNS drugs. Antidementia drugs were given significantly more often in the LKH. About one third of the pa-tients were released into changed living environments. Conclusions: Patients with further progressed dementias were treated mainly in the LKH. This has consequences for diagnos tics, treatment duration and side effect rate.