Postpartum Psychosis, Catatonia, or Bipolar Disorder?

Dr Vaughn and Dr Madora discuss the difficult differential diagnosis when a teen mother experiences postpartum psychosis with malignant catatonia. Having no psychiatric indicators preterm, the mother’s psychotic symptoms include prominent visual and auditory hallucinations, severe insomnia, and catatonia with mutism. Wondering whether their patient has an infection, autoimmune disorder, or urea-cycle disorder, the ICU intensivists, OB/GYNs, and psychiatrists treat for autoimmune encephalitis and postpartum psychosis with delirium.
In this exclusive author insights video, share the challenges of diagnosing overlapping symptoms and etiology. Two more hospitalizations after postpartum discharge for this young mother, the experts conclude she most likely had undiagnosed bipolar disorder.
See the full-text article: www.psychiatrist.com/pcc/schi...
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Presented by The Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders
Dr Vaughn is affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York. Dr Madora was affiliated with Montefiore Medical Center at the time of this patient’s admission but at the time of the article’s publication, was affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.