Psychosomatics 39:61-67, February 1998
© 1998 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medine
The Evaluation of Eating and Weight Symptoms in the General Hospital Consultation Setting
Caroline P. Carney, M.D., and
William R. Yates, M.D.
Received April 4, 1996; revised October 23, 1996; accepted January 24, 1997. From the Department of Internal Medicine and Psychiatry, and the Department of Psychiatry, The University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City. Address reprint requests to Dr. Carney, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, 200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, IA 52242–1081.
Eating disorders (ED) in the medically ill population have seldom been studied. The objective of this study is to review a series of medical and surgical patients referred for psychiatric evaluation for a presumed ED. Between 1982 and 1990, a series of 65 patients were referred for psychiatric consultation to evaluate for an ED. All patient records were reviewed for demographic, medical, and psychiatric information, including medical course following the consultation. Sixty-three percent of the study population were referred by internal medicine services. The most common presenting symptoms were self-induced vomiting (39.1%), binge eating (34.4%) and weight loss (31.3%). Bulimia nervosa (n=21), anorexia nervosa (n=19), and no psychiatric diagnosis (n=18) were the most frequent diagnoses. Record review suggested significant challenges to accurate eating disorder diagnoses in patients presenting with primary medical complaints.
Key Words: Eating Disorders • Diagnosis • Patient Assessment • Anorexia • Bulimia Nervosa
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