ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: This study was designed to investigate the relationship between psychiatric disease and systemic disease in geriatric psychiatric inpatients who were consulted to department of internal medicine and were above 6th decade, and was directed to assess the physical problems and possible ways to resolve them in a closed psychiatric unit. METHOD: Through evaluation of medical records of 225 inpatients who had consulted in department of internal medicine in Seoul National Mental Hospital from January 1, 1998 to December 31, 1999. We classified the physical illness according to ICD-9-CM and psychiatric disease according to NTA. RESULTS: The result were as follows: 1) In age sex distribution, male was 62.7%, and 81.8% of the subjects was 6th decade. 2) The most common systemic diagnosis were disease of circulatory system, disease of digestive system, and disease of respiratory system. 3) The most systemic disease was disease of circulatory system in 6th and 8th decade. 4) Disease of circulatory system in all psychiatric disease was the most frequent. 5) Rate of circulatory disorder was the highest in organic mental disorder. Disease of digestive system and disease of endocrine system were the most frequent in alcoholics. Disease of respiratory system showed the highest rate in schizophrenea. CONCLUSION: The clinical characteristics of psychiatric diseases influenced to get systemic disease in geriatric patients.