A mistake in the diagnosis of mania can be fatal

A 40-year-old male patient was admitted to a psychiatric clinic. Over a period of three days, he exhibited excessive talkativeness, increased activity, insomnia, irritability and aggression, hypersexuality, and unexplained anxiety. At the time of his hospital admission, the patient displayed signs of disorientation in space and time and experienced blackouts. On examination, he mimicked the doctor’s behavior, while repeating the words he was told.

Another three patients aged 22, 35, and 38 years were admitted to the same clinic with similar symptoms. During examination, none showed any medical reasons for being disoriented not presented any pronounced behavioral disorders, even though they shared a history of manic episodes. Based on the medical history data and the results of diagnostic tests, the patients were diagnosed with acute delirious mania. The condition is a severe psychiatric syndrome, the clinical signs of which develop rapidly and force the patient to require emergency care. An erroneous diagnosis may result in a fatal outcome.