Suicide is the second leading cause of death in 10 to 24 year olds. Emergency Departments are the front line in the battle against these tragedies, as many Americans use ED's as their sole health care provider. Of patients that successfully commit suicide, 10% have been seen in an ED within 2 months of death, and 70% of suicidal patients may not spontaneously report suicidal ideation, but will when asked. How can we reliably screen patients for suicidality? Tools used in psychiatry practice are often long and difficult for ED personnel to administer. A new tool, published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, may be a good tool to screen pediatric patients for suicide risk, as it demonstrated high sensitivity and high negative predictive, in only 4 questions. 

Read more