Medically ill child or adolescent

Assessment and evaluation of the medically ill child or adolescent is often complicated in various ways by the physical state of the child ... 

Figure 47.1 provides a suggested treatment algorithm for use of psychopharmacologic interventions in the medically ill child or adolescent. The use of psychiatric medication in this population must clearly be seen as... 

FIGURE 47.1 Suggested algorithm for the use of psychotropic medications in the medically ill child or adolescent. CNS, central nervous system GI, gastrointestinal SSRI, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor TLA, tricyclic antidepressant. 

Several factors should be part of the decision-making process regarding the length of time a medically ill child or adolescent should remain on psychoactive medication ... 

A psychiatrist has completed 4 years of residency training after medical school (or 5 years for child and adolescent psychiatry or geriatric psychiatry), and the focus of the training is diagnosis and treatment of all mental disorders, including the most complicated, severely ill patients. The psychiatrist should be board eligible or board certified. Board eligible... 

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