Background: This portion of the Medical Aspects lecture will focus on four clinical cases involving bulimia nervosa. The patient will be discussed in terms of their diagnosis, lab results, presenting symptoms, clinical concerns and treatment.
yllabus for Medical Aspects Course
Test: A Guide to Medical Care and Complications
Eating Disorders. Philip S. Mehler M.D., and Arnold Anderson M.D.
Bulimia-Medical Issues
I.Purging by vomiting
a. Risk Factors
b. Identification and evaluation
1.Laboratory tests
2.Physical exam
c. Goals of Treatment
1. Nutritional Guidelines
2. Special Needs and testing
d. Criteria For Hospitalization
e.Treating co-morbid conditions
II. Purging with laxatives
- Risk Factors
- Identification and evaluations
- Laboratory tests
- Physical exam
- Goals of Treatment
- Nutritional Guidelines
- Special Needs and Testing
- Criteria for Hospitalization
- Treating Co-morbid condtions
III. Adolescents and Bulimia
- Risk Factors
- Identification and Evaluations
- Laboratory tests
- Physical exam
- Goals of Treatment
- Nutritional Guidelines
- Special Needs and Testing
- Criteria for Hospitalization
- Treating Co-morbid conditions
This talk will look at four different patients with various forms of bulimia nervosa. We will first look at presenting symptoms and discuss the differential diagnosis. The group will follow the patient through an evaluation of the laboratory values and what they indicate and then take each patient and develop treatment options which include in-patient and follow up care. The patients have medical complications caused by their eating disorder behaviors whether they are purging with vomiting, compulsive exercise or laxatives. Each patient presents their own issues in addition to their eating disorder. The participants will look at co-diagnosis and the choice of medications in the treatment of both their medical issues and psychiatric issues.
Dr.Berkus is currently the medical director for Brighthearthealth.com, a telemedicine IOP and a consultant for Remuda Ranch. She is developing a community mental health ED program for COPE in Tucson. She was in private practice and Director of the Eating Disorder Program at Fairwinds Treatment Center in Clearwater, Florida and Sierra Tucson in Tucson. Dr. Berkus has been with IAEDP for many years, serving as President, Secretary and chairman of the Education and Certification Committees. She has been a speaker for many conferences including NEDA, IAEDP, AED, ASBP and is the author of "10 Commitments to Mental Fitness".
