AAEM believes that evidence for testing psychiatric patients as part of medical clearance process clearly states that the testing should be clinically based, similar to other patients in the ED, and, individually based upon the particular patient presentation. Consistent with the literature on the topic, AAEM opposes routine laboratory testing of psychiatric patients in the ED as part of medical clearance process. Laboratory testing of psychiatric patients in the ED should be dependent on the patient’s clinical presentation, based on the judgment of the attending emergency physician.
This position statement is supported by the American Association for Emergency Psychiatry
Approved: 8/21/14