: Health Care Proxy (HCP) and Power of Attorney (POA) are types of advance directives, which are legal
documents allowing individuals to designate someone else to make decisions on their behalf, particularly when they are
incapacitated. Unlike conservatorships or guardianships, which are court-assigned, advance directives like HCP and POA
allow the individual to proactively choose a representative. This delegate is tasked with making decisions that align with
the person’s wishes and values, encompassing medical, legal, and occasionally financial matters. This fact sheet delves
into these important legal tools.
The process from when a psychiatrist orders medication in an Electronic Health Record (EHR) to when it
arrives at the nursing station is complex and involves multiple steps. Understanding this process, including medication
reconciliation, can help you ensure more efficient care and minimize delays in medication administration.
● Monitor for neuropsychiatric complications: HIV can affect the nervous system, leading to cognitive
impairments, mood disorders, and psychotic disorders.
● Assess adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART): Non-adherence can lead to treatment failure and the
development of resistant HIV strains.
● Address psychiatric comorbidities: Patients with HIV are at increased risk for depression, anxiety, and substance
use disorders.
● Evaluate psychotropic medications: Consider the potential interactions between psychotropic medications and
ART
: A rare but potentially life-threatening drug reaction presenting with muscle rigidity (“lead pipe”),
hyperthermia, and altered mental status. May present similarly to serotonin syndrome although may be less acute
in onset (within days vs hours).
Typically, patients will report food craving and binging. Weight gain is rapid in the first three
months, more gradual over the following year, then often plateaus. Rapid initial weight gain is correlated with
greater eventual cumulative weight gain. FDA definition of weight gain is ≥7% increase in weight from baseline.
involuntary movements, usually occurring after months or years of antipsychotic treatment. The
most common symptoms are oro-buccal-lingual, such as chewing, lip smacking, and tongue protrusion.
Occasionally causes movements of fingers or toes and rarely, in severe cases, may affect torso and gait.
Patients with intellectual disabilities (ID) may be admitted to adult inpatient units for a range of issues, often related to self-harm or
impulsive violence toward caregivers. This fact sheet offers a concise review of intellectual disabilities and provides guidelines for
their management in an adult inpatient unit.