Medical Disorders in the Schizophrenic Patient

Abstract

Objective: The primary purpose of this review of medical disorders in the schizophrenic patient is to provide the clinician interested in Consultation/ Liaison psychiatry and psychosomatic issues a comprehensive and current review of the subject. Method: The authors used the Index Medicus and Medline to find recent review articles and research articles related to medical disorders in the schizophrenic patient. Also, the authors described their clinical experience in Consultation/Liaison psychiatry working with schizophrenic patients in a large, tertiary-care academic medical center. Results: The authors divided their review into: 1) mortality and morbidity in schizophrenia, 2) differential diagnosis, 3) specific comorbidity management problems, 4) caring for schizophrenics on medical/surgical wards, and 5) antipsychotic drugs in the medical setting. Schizophrenia remains an important subject for Consultation/Liaison psychiatrists. Conclusions: Schizophrenia and its protean manifestations confound the care of the medical patient. The psychosis of schizophrenia may impair the patient's capacity to recognize or articulate emerging medical illness, or to respond to therapeutic interventions. The psychiatrist caring for and consulting on patients with medical illnesses bears major responsibility for understanding the complex interface of schizophrenia and medical illnesses. Psychiatrists need to educate our medical and surgical colleagues how schizophrenia alters the usual presentation, clinical course, and response to treatment of common medical and surgical illnesses.