I rischi di una Psichiatria forse disumana, sicuramente deformata.
Processo per la morte di una bimba di 4 anni per intossicazione di psicofarmaci: a due anni e mezzo diagnosticata come ADHD e poi come Sindrome Bipolare, e 'curata' con Valproato, Seroquel e Clonidina, su prescrizione di uno psichiatra. Lo psichiatra ha perso la licenza di esercitare, i genitori sono sotto processo.

da Medscape
Discussion Started By: drgrcevich, MD, Psychiatry/Mental Health, 10:00AM Jan 19, 2010

Rebecca Riley's parents on trial for first-degree murder

Here's a link to the story in Sunday's Boston Globe:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/01/17/case_...

As you'll recall, this is the case in which a 4 year-old died after having been given excessive amounts of clonidine by her parents, after having been given the clonidine, along with a variety of other medications by a Harvard-trained child psychiatrist who had diagnosed Rebecca with Bipolar Disorder. The doc's license has been reinstated, and the parents are now on trial for murder, with the prosecution suggesting that the parents may have deliberately exaggerated her symptoms in order to obtain SSI disability benefits.

It seems to me there's lots of blame to go around here, but there's more and more pressure on physicians to prescribe powerful medications for preschool-age children with serious emotional or behavioral problems in the midst of dysfunctional living situations. I don't see anything in the healthcare reform discussions that addresses this...if anything, managed behavioral healthcare makes the situation worse.

#5 of 11, Added By: ECTDOC, MD, Psychiatry/Mental Health, 4:54PM Jan 19, 2010

According to that Boston Globule article, the deceased 4 year-old had been diagnosed with BOTH bipolar and ADHD. The diagnosing psychiatrist obviously did not understand that bipolar DO in a 4 year old is as rare as a wild zebra in Wyoming. Then diagnosing ADHD on top of this makes it as rare as a two-headed zebra, also in Wyoming. Even without prescribing anything the doctor loses all credibility I can imagine by giving these two diagnoses.

For this psychiatrist to keep licensure the other psychiatrists in the community presumably find this acceptable practice. This whole thing stinks. The parents don't smell good either.

#7 of 11, Added By: ECTDOC, MD, Psychiatry/Mental Health, 10:50PM Jan 19, 2010

As the Devil is in the Details, let's look at them. Also reported in the Boston Glob:

"Kifuji began treating Rebecca for bipolar disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder starting at age 2 1/2" and

"The State Police investigator's report said Kifuji prescribed three medications for the girl: 750 milligrams a day of Depakote, an anti seizure drug also used as a mood-stabilizer; 200 milligrams a day of Seroquel, an antipsychotic drug; and .35 milligrams a day of clonidine."

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