Management of deliberate self poisoning in adults in four teaching hospitals: descriptive study

By contrast, there were striking variations in the management of episodes between study centres, with a fourfold difference in discharge rates from accident and emergency departments, and almost a twofold difference in the proportion of subjects receiving a specialist psychosocial assessment (table). Centre (No of episodes) Discharged from accident and emergency department Discharged from accident and emergency department without psychosocial assessment Received psychosocial assessment Admitted to psychiatric ward Followed up * Leeds (101) 18 (18) 15 (15) 65 (65) 6 (6) 46 (45), general practitioner 16 (16), deliberate self harm team 28 (28), psychiatric services 10 (10), alcohol services Leicester (111) 61 (55) 23 (21) 76 (68) 18 (16) 50 (45), general practioner 12 (11), deliberate self harm team 44 (40), psychiatric services 2 (2), alcohol services Manchester (100) 71 (71) 46 (46) 36 (36) 11 (11) 67 (67), general practitioner 0, deliberate self harm team 31 (31), psychiatric services 1 (1), alcohol services Nottingham (165) 53 (32) 42 (25) 80 (48) 13 (8) 98 (59), general practitioner 14 (8), deliberate self harm team 43 (26), psychiatric services 6 (4), alcohol services All centres (477) 203 (43) 126 (26) 257 (54) 48 (10) 261 (55), general practitioner 42 (9), deliberate self harm team 146 (31), psychiatric services 19 (4), alcohol services * Nine episodes were followed up by a variety of agencies, mostly social services or non-statutory agencies.