Five days after childbirth, a woman develops rapidly fluctuating elation, perplexity, persecutory beliefs and almost complete insomnia. She has no int...

Question

Five days after childbirth, a woman develops rapidly fluctuating elation, perplexity, persecutory beliefs and almost complete insomnia. She has no intoxication or delirium trigger on initial assessment. What referral timescale is required?

Accepted Answer

Arrange specialist perinatal mental-health assessment within 4 hours

Answer

Routine community mental-health assessment within 2 weeks

Answer

Urgent obstetric review within 24 hours before mental-health referral is considered

Answer

Primary-care antidepressant initiation with review after 72 hours

Answer

Health-visitor monitoring twice daily while sleep normalises

Neurology — MRCP Part 1 MCQ

Five days after childbirth, a woman develops rapidly fluctuating elation, perplexity, persecutory beliefs and almost complete insomnia. She has no intoxication or delirium trigger on initial assessment. What referral timescale is required?