Eating disorder emergencies: understanding the medical complexities of the hospitalized eating disordered patient

Crit Care Nurs Clin North Am. 2004 Dec;16(4):515-30. doi: 10.1016/j.ccell.2004.07.002.

Abstract

Eating disorders are maladaptive eating behaviors that typically develop in adolescence and early adulthood. Psychiatric maladies and comorbid conditions, especially insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, frequently co-exist with eating disorders. Serious medical complications affecting all organs and tissues can develop and result in numerous emergent hospitalizations. This article reviews the pathophysiologies of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and orthorexia nervosa and discusses the complexities associated with the treatment of medical complications seen in these patients.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Anorexia Nervosa / complications
  • Anorexia Nervosa / diagnosis
  • Anorexia Nervosa / psychology
  • Anorexia Nervosa / therapy*
  • Body Image
  • Bulimia / complications
  • Bulimia / diagnosis
  • Bulimia / psychology
  • Bulimia / therapy*
  • Causality
  • Comorbidity
  • Critical Care / methods*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / etiology
  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
  • Dietetics
  • Disease Progression
  • Emergencies
  • Female
  • Hospitalization*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Models, Psychological
  • Nutrition Assessment
  • Prognosis
  • Recurrence
  • Social Values
  • Water-Electrolyte Imbalance / etiology