Disordered cognition, commonly but inaccurately referred to as "psychosis", is a challenging symptom to evaluate and manage in the critical care or emergency department setting. Although exacerbation of a primary psychiatric disorder may indeed be associated with psychosis, a large number of medical illnesses may present similarly. Often, there is no single test to establish a definitive diagnosis....

The negative impact of risky use of alcohol on health and well-being of individuals has been well documented. Recent reports reveal an alarming increase in the hazardous and harmful alcohol use worldwide. Brief intervention is increasingly becoming popular over the last decades in reducing harmful and hazardous alcohol use as compared to other psychosocial interventions. ...

Despite the knowledge that alcohol and drug use are risk factors for suicide, the change in outcomes from testing urine drug screens is a point of contention between emergency physicians and psychiatrists. The influence of alcohol levels on disposition from the emergency department has never been tested....