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Cold Injury Caused by Psychiatric Illness: Six Case Reports

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Joy Dalton  and
Mary Robertson
Joy Dalton
Affiliation:
Psychiatric Unit, Whittington Hospital, Highgate Hill, London, N19
Mary Robertson
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, The National Hospital for Nervous Diseases, Queen Square, London, WC1. Formerly: Registrar, Psychiatric Unit, Whittington Hospital
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Summary

Six patients are reported in whom mental illness led to severe cold injury. The main contributory factors were cold surroundings, inactivity and neglect. The additional factor of impaired microcirculation in these patients may also be significant.

In the winter of 1979 two instances of cold injury in patients with mental illness came to our attention. A search of the medical records at the Whittington Hospital revealed a further three cases over a period of 14 years. One patient was seen at the National Hospital for Nervous Diseases, Queen Square.

Information

Type
Case Report
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 140 , Issue 6 , June 1982 , pp. 615 - 618
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1982 

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