ABSTRACT
Anxiety and mood disorders can afflict any and all individuals. In the emergency department (ED) setting, of the primary anxiety disorders, panic disorders, and exacerbations of prior acute stress symptoms are common patient presentations. The experience of panic disorder symptoms can create a sense of terror and a feeling of being overwhelmed for the patient coping with the illness. The art of conducting a proper psychiatric diagnosis can be quite a challenge in the ED setting given that the ED clinician is plagued by time constraints, large patient volumes, and limited patient medical information. Treatment of anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder symptoms can occur by use of psychotherapeutic techniques, administration of psychotropic medication, or a combination of the two. Given the addictive risks associated with the benzodiazepines, the ED physician can consider the use of alternative medications to treat anxiety-related symptoms.
