Annals of emergency medicine
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Emergency department (ED) care for patients with psychiatric complaints has become increasingly challenging given recent nationwide declines in available inpatient psychiatric beds. This creates pressure to manage psychiatric patients in the ED or as outpatients and may place providers and institutions at risk for liability under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). We describe the patient characteristics, disposition, and legal outcomes of EMTALA cases involving patients with psychiatric complaints. ⋯ Lawsuits involving alleged EMTALA violations in the care of ED patients with psychiatric complaints are uncommon and rarely successful.