eMedicine Specialties > Emergency Medicine > Psychosocial

Domestic Violence: Differential Diagnoses & Workup

Author: Lynn Barkley Burnett, EdD, MS, LLB(c), Medical Advisor, Fresno County Sheriff's Department; Attending Consultant-in-Chief and Chairman, Medical Ethics, Community Medical Centers; Adjunct Assistant Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine & Forensic Pathology, Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine--California; Adjunct Professor of Forensic Pathology, National University Master of Forensic Science Program; Adjunct Professor of Medical Law & Bioethics, Kaplan University
Coauthor(s): Jonathan Adler, MD, Attending Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital; Division of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Aug 18, 2009

Differential Diagnoses

Alcohol and Substance Abuse Evaluation
Depression and Suicide
Elder Abuse
Panic Disorders
Pediatrics, Child Abuse
Pediatrics, Child Sexual Abuse

Other Problems to Be Considered

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

More on Domestic Violence

Overview: Domestic Violence
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Domestic Violence
Treatment & Medication: Domestic Violence
Follow-up: Domestic Violence
References
Further Reading

References

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Keywords

domestic violence, family violence, abuse, spousal abuse, wife beating, intimate partner violence, physical violence, psychological abuse, nonconsensual sexual behavior, verbal abuse, psychological abuse, threats, intimidation, coercion, degradation, humiliation, false accusations, ridicule, stalking, cyberstalking, sexual abuse, physical assault, assault, child abuse, child neglect, child sexual abuse, elder abuse, physical abuse, mental abuse

Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Lynn Barkley Burnett, EdD, MS, LLB(c), Medical Advisor, Fresno County Sheriff's Department; Attending Consultant-in-Chief and Chairman, Medical Ethics, Community Medical Centers; Adjunct Assistant Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine & Forensic Pathology, Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine--California; Adjunct Professor of Forensic Pathology, National University Master of Forensic Science Program; Adjunct Professor of Medical Law & Bioethics, Kaplan University
Lynn Barkley Burnett, EdD, MS, LLB(c) is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Association of Suicidology, American Cancer Society, American College of Sports Medicine, American Heart Association, American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, American Public Health Association, American Society for Bioethics and Humanities, American Society of Law Medicine and Ethics, American Stroke Association, Association of Military Surgeons of the US, Christian Medical & Dental Society, European Society for Trauma and Emergency Surgery, European Society of Cardiology, European Society of Intensive Care Medicine, European Society of Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care, Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians of London, International Homicide Investigators Association, New York Academy of Sciences, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Royal Society of Medicine, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, Society of Critical Care Medicine, and World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Jonathan Adler, MD, Attending Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital; Division of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Jonathan Adler, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Steven A Conrad, MD, PhD, Chief, Department of Emergency Medicine; Chief, Multidisciplinary Critical Care Service, Professor, Department of Emergency and Internal Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center
Steven A Conrad, MD, PhD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Critical Care Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Physicians, International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, Louisiana State Medical Society, Shock Society, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, and Society of Critical Care Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: eMedicine Salary Employment

Managing Editor

Robert Harwood, MD, MPH, FACEP, FAAEM, Program Director, Department of Emergency Medicine, Advocate Christ Medical Center; Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine
Robert Harwood, MD, MPH, FACEP, FAAEM is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

John D Halamka, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Chief Information Officer, CareGroup Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School; Attending Physician, Division of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
John D Halamka, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Barry E Brenner, MD, PhD, FACEP, Professor of Emergency Medicine, Professor of Internal Medicine, Program Director, Emergency Medicine, University Hospitals, Case Medical Center
Barry E Brenner, MD, PhD, FACEP is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Physicians, American Heart Association, American Thoracic Society, Arkansas Medical Society, New York Academy of Medicine, New York Academy of Sciences, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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