Borderline personality disorder
Background
- A pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, and marked impulsivity
Clinical Features
- Five (or more) of the following criteria, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts:[1]
- Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment.
- A pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation.
- Identity disturbance: markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self.
- Impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (e.g., spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating).
- Recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, or threats, or self-mutilating behavior.
- Affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood (e.g., intense episodic dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and only rarely more than a few days).
- Chronic feelings of emptiness.
- Inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (e.g., frequent displays of temper, constant anger, recurrent physical fights).
- Transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms.
Differential Diagnosis
- Depressive and bipolar disorders
- Other personality disorders
- Personality change due to another medical condition
- Substance use disorders
- Identity problems
Evaluation
- A clinical diagnosis; however if entertaining other organic causes may initiate workup below
General ED Psychiatric Workup
- Point-of-care glucose
- CBC
- Chem 7
- LFTs
- ECG (for toxicology evaluation)
- ASA level
- Tylenol level
- Urine toxicology screen/Blood toxicology screen
- EtOH
- Urine pregnancy/beta-hCG (if female of childbearing age)
- Consider:
- Ammonia (see Hepatic encephalopathy)
- TSH (hypo or hyperthyroidism may mimic mental illness)
- CXR (for Tb screen or rule-out delirium in older patient)
- UA (for rule-out delirium in older patients)
- Head CT (to rule-out ICH in patients with AMS)
- Lumbar puncture (to rule-out meningitis or encephalitis)
Management
- Referral for outpatient psychiatric treatment, as psychotherapy is the primary treatment. Antipsychotics, antidepressants and mood stabilizers can be used to control symptoms such as anger and affective instability.
Disposition
- Discharge
See Also
External Links
References
- ↑ American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.