Abstract

MONTERO, Ana Patricia et al. Resultados de la categorización de una muestra de pacientes con diagnóstico de egreso de esquizofrenia. Acta méd. costarric [online]. 2002, vol.44, n.2, pp.74-78. ISSN 0001-6002.

Approximately 1% of the world population is affected with schizophrenia. It is one of the most debilitating psychiatric disorders with a high economic, social, familial and personal cost. In Costa Rica, it is the first cause of hospitalization among psychiatric disorders at the National Psychiatric Hospital. This study analyses the diagnosis of the first 120 subjects included in the Genetic Study of Schizophrenia. Approximately 40% of the cases were discordant for the diagnosis when comparing the diagnosis of the interviewer, the final consensus diagnosis and the last discharg diagnosis. The last hospital discharge diagnosis showed a relative sub-registry of affective symptoms and an over-diagnosis of schizophrenic disorders. The diagnosis of schizoaffective disorders was the least concordant. The differences found could be partly explained by the use of different diagnostic criteria and/or by a more rigorous application of these criteria in research. Nonetheless, the concurrence of different symptoms in the severe mental disorders and the limitations imposed by strict diagnostic criteria, might give a diagnosis to a patient which doesn’t completely represent his/her illness. The future availability of biological markers might help to classify these disorders in more precise clinical entities, to better understand the physiopathology and improve treatment.

Keywords : Esquizofrenia; pautas diagnósticas.