Erica Robinson, MD, a first-year resident in the Yale Department of Psychiatry, is the co-author of a paper that reviews criteria to diagnose and treat eating disorder patients.
The paper, “Caring for Individuals with Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa in the Primary Care Setting,” was published in the January issue of Family Doctor, the journal of the New York State Academy of Family Physicians.
The focus of the issue was adolescent health, and Robinson’s wrote in her case report about a 14-year-old girl who visited her primary care physician (PCP) for her annual back to school physical. The girl reported feeling depressed and had occasional suicidal thoughts. Her weight had dropped from 115 to 88 pounds since her last exam.
The girl met criteria for hospitalization and was referred to an eating disorder day program for treatment.
The paper reviews criteria used to diagnose eating disorders, discusses possible medical complications, and recommends steps PCPs should take to evaluate and treat eating disorder patients. Sources of referral and criteria for hospitalizing patients are also discussed.
Robinson co-authored the paper while a fourth-year medical student at Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine.