[Couples and families emergency/crisis consultation: emergency patterns and treatment assessment]. / Consultation d'urgence/crise pour couples et families: motifs d'urgence et évaluation du traitement.

Since the opening in 2003 of the Couple & Family Consultation Unit (UCCF) at Prangins Hospital, we have met urgent demands and observed that the suffering systems (i.e., couples and families) couldn't face any waiting period. So in 2007 an Emergency/Crisis Facility was created, based on the hypothesis that there is no contra-indication to systemic emergency care, if one understands and structures both crisis and treatment. We studied the suffering population in demand and the emergency/crisis issues and assessed therapy efficiency. Then we observed that treating suffering systems in emergency does produce therapeutic gain in terms of crisis resolution and patients' satisfaction. Those treatments refer to public health issues, as considered the human, social and financial cost of couples/families dysfunctions.

[Acute confusional episode--delirium in elderly patients. Definition, etiology and treatment]. / Episode confusionnet aigu--delirium chez la personne âgée: définition, étiologie et prise en charge.

Delirium, (acute confusional episode in European nomenclature) frequently occurs to elderly patients. This confusional condition is characterized by a sudden beginning and fluctuating clinical manifestations. It can bring out or showup a large number of illnesses. Generally transient and reversible, confusional state remains a medical emergency, motivating numerous consilium and psychiatric admissions. On the base of a case report, we aim to recall the high frequency of this affection in a somatic context and the importance of early diagnosis and treatment.

[Somatic disorders, factitious disorders and simulation: the subtle art of differential diagnosis]. / Troubles somatoformes, troubles factices et simulation: l'art difficite du diagnostic différentiel.

In every day practice, it is difficult, sometimes impossible, and always ethically delicate to determine the differential diagnosis between: disorders of a somatic nature, simulation and factitious disorders, as much for the psychiatrist as for the general practitioner in the front line. Our aim is to lead a reflection on this controversial theme on the basis of a clinical illustration.

[Attempted suicide in Switzerland: from practice to prevention]. / Conduites suicidaires en Suisse: du terrain d la prévention.

Prevention of suicide and recurrent suicidal behaviour is actually a prior issue for the Canton de Vaud, in order to elaborate an accurate Health Management. After a brief description of the swiss and Vaud situation we report epidemiological data about attempted suicides in Morges' hospital, collected since the beginning of the activity of a Consultation-Liaison psychiatrist and we confront them with the level of functioning of the medical system. Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, through an early intervention during such a critical period, can provide better detection and prevention of those situations. It offers also the opportunity to develop adapted plans of observation, orientation and treatment for those patients already within a somatic setting.

[Somatoform disorders: diagnosis and treatment]. / Les troubles somatoformes: diagnostics et prises en charge.

Somatoform disorders include several diagnoses, the treatment of which concerns somaticians as well as psychiatrists. This paper defines those diagnosis features, differential diagnosis, epidemiological aspects and etiology hypothesis. Regarding treatments, emphasis is stressed upon, the high level of collaboration between somaticians and psychiatrists, regarding those long term follow-up, well known for potential high-costs in terms of individual suffering and financial terms.