Date of Presentation
5-6-2021 12:00 AM
College
School of Osteopathic Medicine
Poster Abstract
Delusional infestation (DI) is a somatic type delusional disorder, characterized by a fixed belief that one is infested by living or nonliving pathogens (1,3) . DI is a relatively rare disorder (4,5), with an estimated 20-80 cases per million people annually (6). Effective management of patients suffering from DI is crucial, as patients may cause significant harm to themselves in their attempts to remove the pathogens (7,8). Regarding treatment options, antipsychotic medications such as pimozide and risperidone have been promising (8,10). However, there remain many barriers to care (11), and patients are hardly ever seen in psychiatry as they preferably seek other specialists such as dermatologists (7,11). It is important for psychiatrists to understand this devastating disorder and properly manage and treat patients with DI when the opportunity arises.
Keywords
delusional infestation, mental health, case reports
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences | Mental Disorders | Psychiatric and Mental Health | Psychiatry
Document Type
Poster
A Terrible Prank Gone Horribly Wrong the Development of Delusional Infestation as an Adjustment Reaction to a Traumatic Hoax
Delusional infestation (DI) is a somatic type delusional disorder, characterized by a fixed belief that one is infested by living or nonliving pathogens (1,3) . DI is a relatively rare disorder (4,5), with an estimated 20-80 cases per million people annually (6). Effective management of patients suffering from DI is crucial, as patients may cause significant harm to themselves in their attempts to remove the pathogens (7,8). Regarding treatment options, antipsychotic medications such as pimozide and risperidone have been promising (8,10). However, there remain many barriers to care (11), and patients are hardly ever seen in psychiatry as they preferably seek other specialists such as dermatologists (7,11). It is important for psychiatrists to understand this devastating disorder and properly manage and treat patients with DI when the opportunity arises.