Coerced admission was also tied to critically low BMIs. The .gov means its official. Age dependency of body mass index distribution in childhood and adolescent inpatients with anorexia nervosa with a focus on DSM-5 and ICD-11 weight criteria and severity specifiers. A severely underweight body and the unhealthy eating habits that go along with an eating disorder can have serious health consequences. If you need a tube and your BMI is that low, you need to go to treatment. Treatment may require multiple healthcare providers, such as psychotherapists, nutritionists, and physicians. Martini M, Longo P, Delsedime N, Abbate-Daga G, Panero M. J Clin Med. At globalanswers, Josie writes content. One study of 75 admissions to a specialist Australian anorexia program over nearly 5 years, provided some helpful information (Int J Psychiatry Relat Sci. A person may be hospitalized for anorexia if theres a refusal to comply with treatment, suicide threats, severe anxiety and/or depression, the presence of another mental issue or because of having a poor response to outpatient treatment. You can also edit a flair to customize it and have something like "TW / Topic". 2014 Dec;19(4):525-30. doi: 10.1007/s40519-014-0127-2. The disorder is not associated with self-induced vomiting or other compensatory behaviors; hence, patients are typically overweight or obese. Are there more numbers between 0 and 1 than 0 and 2? The first signs of an impending disorder may be subtle heightened concerns about diet and body weight. A body weight that is 15 percent or more below average for height, age and gender indicates the possibility of the eating disorder. Search dates: November 18, 2013; December 1, 2013; July 14, 2014; and October 22, 2014. Celebrations throughout November, December, and even into January offer a myriad of opportunities to be around alcohol. Before Moderately low body weight is defined as BMI 1616.99. -, Dalle Grave R., Sartirana M., El Ghoch M., Calugi S. DSM-5 severity specifiers for anorexia nervosa and treatment outcomes in adult females. Thus, hospitalization should be considered for initial treatment of any seriously malnourished patient to allow for daily monitoring of key markers such as weight, heart rate, temperature,. Symptoms of anorexia nervosa. Good BMI outcome [ Time Frame: 40 weeks after inpatient admission (corresponding to 20 weeks after discharge) ] Body Mass Index . One of the most daunting aspects of anorexia nervosa arises when a patient refuses treatment despite being seriously ill. Due to the egosyntonic nature of AN, a patient may feel the disorder is a part of her, and doesnt want it to go away. The material on this site is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified health care provider. 26% of people diagnosed with an eating disorder attempt suicide. Eating disorder specialists, often with backgrounds in psychiatry or adolescent medicine, are ideally involved but may not be available in some locations. Sexual assault or abuse has not been associated with anorexia nervosa but may be a risk factor for bulimia nervosa.6, There is increasing evidence of biologic risk factors for eating disorders. There is an increased prevalence of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa 2002-2023 LoveToKnow Media. Initial evaluation of patients with eating disorders requires assessing medical stability and whether hospitalization is required. B. If your BMI below 18.5, this suggests that your weight may be too low. Age is an important consideration for medicolegal considerations, according to Dr. Carney and his co-workers. The PubMed wordmark and PubMed logo are registered trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). A BMI below 18.5 signals a problem may exist, while a BMI below 17.5 -- especially in adults -- is usually present in people with anorexia nervosa. . More than 90 % of the patients were female and 100 patients were admitted involuntarily. A type of binge/purging in which there are periods of eating that are offset by self-induced vomiting, laxative or diuretic abuse, and/or excessive exercise. Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious and potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by starvation and malnutrition, a high prevalence of coexisting psychiatric conditions, marked treatment resistance, frequent medical complications, and a substantial risk of death. Anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder make up a trio of the most common eating disorders worldwide. Restricting food intake deprives the body of valuable nutrients that support a healthy body, including strong bones, sexual function and brain health. There are two categories of reasons why an individual might be hospitalized for anorexia: Some key medical indicators for hospitalization are basic starvation signs that include: A family crisis or high-stress situation like the start of college or the end of a relationship can lead to a need for hospitalization. Anorexia nervosa: management 3 - Criteria for full hospital admission . doi: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2018.07.006. Increased General, Eating, and Body-Related Psychopathology in Inpatients in a Specialized Eating Disorders Unit after the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Comparison with the Pre-Pandemic Period. Healthy BMI range: 18.5 - 25 kg/m 2 The result above is not a diagnosis Low BMI or body weight is just one physical feature of anorexia. The information provided on EatingDisorders.com is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. According to the authors, coerced patients (80%) are more likely than voluntary patients (57%) to have been admitted before for treatment of AN or related conditions. BRIAN C. HARRINGTON, MD, MPH, MICHELLE JIMERSON, MD, MPH, CHRISTINA HAXTON, MA, LMFT, AND DAVID C. JIMERSON, MD. Would you like email updates of new search results? [Evaluation of perturbed body image in eating disorders using the Body Shape Questionnaire]. sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal 2010 Aug;55(1):147-51 The hospitalization in patients with anorexia nervosa has often a short-term success, as weight is restored to a healthy level, but high percentage of patients relapse during the first year following the discharge. Anorexia Treatment Keywords: At what BMI are anorexics hospitalized in the UK? The first priority in the evaluation of patients with eating disorders is to identify emergency medical conditions that require hospitalization and stabilization. Patient information: See related handout on eating disorders, written by the authors of this article. The medical criteria for hospitalizing someone for anorexia may include; poor skin turgor, loss of muscle mass, brittle hair and fingernails, sore joints, loss of menstrual cycle, constipation, and an intolerance to cold. We enrolled 168 inpatients with AN completing the following: Eating disorder Examination-Questionnaire, Eating Disorder Inventory-2, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, Body Shape Questionnaire, and EQ-5D-VAS. Yes, they can get social services involved if your condition is bad enough. The use of psychotropic medications is limited for anorexia nervosa, whereas treatment studies have shown a benefit of antidepressant medications for patients with bulimia nervosa. (Smink et al 2012). Clinical features of anorexia nervosa Restriction of energy intake resulting in low body weight. Hebebrand J, Himmelmann GW, Wewetzer C, Gutenbrunner C, Heseker H, Schafer H, Remschmidt H. Int J Eat Disord. For youth, it is critical to involve their schools. It goes without saying, people suffering from anorexia need to seek professional help and the earlier treatment is received, the better the outcome will be. Severe hypoglycemia may lead to seizures. For children and young people aged 2 to 18 years, BMI is calculated based on age and sex, as well as height and weight. A multivitamin plus vitamin D and calcium supplements are recommended. Have you recently lost more than one stone (14 lb) in a three-month period? The site is secure. Clipboard, Search History, and several other advanced features are temporarily unavailable. Bradycardia, orthostatic hypotension, and palpitations may progress to potentially fatal arrhythmias. Any time a person has medical complications due to an eating disorder, including but not limited to an unstable heart rate or blood pressure, fainting, or bleeding from vomit, they should be evaluated for hospitalization. BMI < 13 is an indicator for certification under the Mental Health Act if the patient refuses hospitalization, although BMI < 13 alone is not sufficient for hospitalization. https://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/diseases-conditions/eating-disorders.html, http://www.aap.org/en-us/search/pages/results.aspx?k=eating%20disorders, http://www.psychiatry.org/mental-health/eating-disorders, http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/charts.htm, http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/eating-disorders/index.shtml, http://www.adolescenthealth.org/Topics-in-Adolescent-Health/Eating-Disorders-and-Nutrition.aspx. Vigorous debate continues over compulsory treatment of severely ill patients with AN. Epub 2021 Aug 10. Disclaimer. Accompanying symptoms of bulimia (eating and vomiting), Diet addiction and a habit of limiting calories although body weight is already low, Distorted body image; someone with anorexia may be very thin but see fat when they look in the mirror, Feeling hungry but refusing to eat or eating very little, Preoccupation with food and eating habits of yourself and often others, Poor skin turgor (skin loses its elasticity), Heart rate falls below 40 beats per minute or above 110 beats per minute, Infection of any kind (anorexia can complicate a simple infection), Low serum potassium levels. Other questions include: how long should a patient be committed, and how can treatment be monitored through advocacy protections? Someone could be hospitalized in order to be put on a high calorie diet to gain weight. Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a disabling disorder characterized by extreme weight loss and frequent chronicization, especially in its most severe forms. Overall rates of anorexia are difficult to pin down because often an individual with one eating disorder will also show signs of another. However, the 20% relapse rate represents a significant clinical challenge, and the disorder is associated with an elevated all-cause standardized mortality ratio of 1.6 to 1.9.39,40. Epub 2014 May 13. In addition to the role of environmental triggers and societal expectations of body size and shape, research has suggested that genes and discrete biochemical signals contribute to the development of eating disorders. Severe low body weight is defined as a BMI of 1515.99. It is even possible to completely stop the bleeding, a condition known as secondary amenorrhea. In either case, the primary point - the major advantage as well as potential . Int. Healthy adults usually fall between 18.5 and 24.9 on the BMI chart. Weight, height, body mass index, and body temperature should be recorded. 2017;50:990994. According to the Centers for Disease Control, a person is underweight. If your parents know how to do anything, it's that hospitalization is best for you. Moreover, the exploratory subgroup of patients with BMI 13.5 did not delineate a clinically different group. Positive answers to these questions often indicate anorexia nervosa or bulimia, a disorder characterized by binge eating and purging. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Five patients who died had a BMI under 11, indicating that patients with an extremely low BMI may be likely to die, despite admission. At what BMI should a patient with anorexia be hospitalized? In some cases, severe weight loss occurs because of another physical or emotional condition. This study aimed to characterise the association between mortality and risk factors in patients with AN in acute-care hospitals. -, Am J Psychiatry. Further interest was given to the relationship between premorbid weight and . The disorder is diagnosed when a person weighs at least 15% less than their normal/ideal body weight. Total cholesterol, white blood cells, neutrophils, lymphocytes, platelets, iron, folate, vitamin D and B12 were dosed in . This condition is associated with a pro-inflammatory state; however, the role of immunity in symptom severity remains unclear. Clinical trials have shown significant improvement in bulimia nervosa with cognitive behavior therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy.27 Group therapy is used in many eating disorder treatment programs. At what BMI should a patient with anorexia be hospitalized? The criteria for hospitalization for anorexia nervosa usually occur later in the progression of the disorder. The validity of DSM-5 severity specifiers for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. 2016; 49:407). 2. Your body mass index, or BMI, is the ratio between your weight and height. Unable to load your collection due to an error, Unable to load your delegates due to an error. An official website of the United States government. The main update in the DSM-5 criteria for bulimia nervosa (Table 23 ) is a decrease in the average frequency of bingeing and purging from twice to once a week.4, Bulimia nervosa affects four to six out of 200 females in the United States. Bethesda, MD 20894, Web Policies Of your badly isn't getting what it needs, it will start to shut down. Eating, in a discrete period of time (e.g., within any 2-hour period), an amount of food that is definitely larger than what most individuals would eat in a similar period of time under similar circumstances. Patients with acute anorexia nervosa have a BMI of less than 15 (i.e., less than 65% of their ideal body weight) and meet the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa. This subreddit is not officially associated with the support group Eating Disorders Anonymous. It's a way to evaluate whether a person is of normal weight, overweight or underweight. How Do I Find Medical Pcp Id United Health Care? The current study focused on the associations between BMI standard deviation score (BMI-SDS) at admission and reasons for seeking inpatient treatment. They identified 669 eligible patients with anorexia (BMI 16.5) from 229 hospitals between July and December of that year. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the Parenting style has been discounted as a primary cause of eating disorders. Strenuous physical activity and sports should be restricted. Bulimia nervosa involves the uncontrolled eating of an abnormally large amount of food in a short period, followed by compensatory behaviors, such as self-induced vomiting, laxative abuse, or excessive exercise. Eur Eat Disord Rev. Then, clinicians are faced with minimizing feelings of anger or breach of the therapeutic relationship. One or more of the following justify hospitalization for adolescents with eating disorders, including AN: 75% median BMI for age and gender; dehydration; electrolyte disturbances, such as hypokalemia, hyponatremia, and hypophosphatemia; ECG abnormalities, such as a prolonged QT interval or severe bradycardia Involuntary Hospitalization for Anorexia Nervosa Dec 2 Views: 183 One of the most daunting aspects of anorexia nervosa arises when a patient refuses treatment despite being seriously ill. Due to the egosyntonic nature of AN, a patient may feel the "disorder" is a part of her, and doesn't want it to go away. -, Appetite. If you are underweight or worried that someone you know is underweight, let your GP or nurse practitioner know. We analyzed the association between in-hospital mortality and body mass index upon admission using a currently available, nationwide hospital-based database. A dietitian can help select nutritious and calorie-rich foods. Endocrine symptoms in anorexia nervosa include hypothermia (feeling cold), delayed onset of menses or secondary amenorrhea, and osteopenia progressing to osteoporosis.11,12, More than one-half of patients with eating disorders meet criteria for a current or past episode of major depression.16 Anorexia nervosa is associated with an increased risk of suicide, with the suicide standardized mortality ratio estimated to be as high as 31 in one meta-analysis.17 Other associated psychiatric disorders include obsessive-compulsive disorder, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, social phobia, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, and personality disorders. Please enable it to take advantage of the complete set of features! Thus, involuntary admission may be futile or contraindicated for some persons with severe and enduring AN; these patients have impairments in quality of life that can equal those seen in patients with depression or schizophrenia. If you or a loved one seem to be at risk of developing the disorder, get treatment right away. Refeeding syndrome usually occurs within four days of starting refeeding. Key terms were anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, eating disorder, etiology, diagnosis, signs and symptoms, and treatment. 2021 Jul;30(7):1081-1094. doi: 10.1007/s00787-020-01595-4. Would you like email updates of new search results? However, they have not proved beneficial in facilitating weight restoration or preventing relapse.30,31 Although case reports and recent preliminary studies have suggested a role for atypical antipsychotics such as olanzapine (Zyprexa), controlled studies have not demonstrated significant benefit in patients with anorexia nervosa.11,3235 Larger placebo-controlled studies will be needed to evaluate this approach. 2022 Oct;27(7):2569-2581. doi: 10.1007/s40519-022-01397-4. Individuals with anorexia tend to control body weight through methods such as voluntary starvation, excessive exercise, or other weight control measures, including the use of diet pills or diuretics. If this was done incorrectly or you have already added the correct flair please feel free to ignore this automated message. A person viewing it online may make one printout of the material and may use that printout only for his or her personal, non-commercial reference. Environmental influences include societal idealizations about weight and body shape. Family-based treatment is helpful for adolescents with anorexia nervosa, whereas short-term psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavior therapy, is effective for most patients with bulimia nervosa. Although approximately one-half of patients with anorexia nervosa fully recover, about 30% achieve only partial recovery, and 20% remain chronically ill.38 Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any mental health disorder, with an estimated all-cause standardized mortality ratio of 1.7 to 5.9.39,40 The prognosis for bulimia nervosa is more favorable, with up to 80% of patients achieving remission with treatment. 2017 Sep;50(9):1109-1113. doi: 10.1002/eat.22739. Taken together, our data support the lack of validity of current BMI specifiers in AN, even in the acute setting. People with a BMI of 60% or lower than normal weren't recruited, as they are very fragile and require more care. Mediation models of anxiety and depression between temperament and drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction in anorexia nervosa. As in the DSM-IV, the new criteria specify two diagnostic types of anorexia nervosa (restricting type and binge eating/purging type). Thanks! evdjox 5 mo. Individuals with end-stage anorexia nervosa are very low weight (BMI less than 15), suffer from the physical and psychological effects of severe starvation, and require immediate life-saving medical interventions. Nearly 28% of patients had a BMI lower than 12 when they were admitted; nearly two-thirds of that sample had a BMI less than 14. Eventually, they lose weight or cannot maintain an appropriate body weight based on their height, age, stature and physical health. Psychotherapy is the foundation for successful treatment of an eating disorder. Antidepressants, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), may help mitigate symptoms of depression and suicidal ideation in patients with anorexia nervosa. . A serious medical condition characterized by an unhealthily low body weight, abnormal obsession with food and distorted body image, anorexia nervosa needs attention from a medical professional. There was no association between attainment of a BMI 19 kg/m 2 and rehospitalization [ 2(1, N = 99) = 0.183, p = 0.669]. The annual incidence of anorexia nervosa in men is less than 1 per 100,000 of population. When do you have to go to the hospital for not eating? All Rights Reserved. Some other reasons for hospitalization due to anorexia can include; the need for testing and diagnosis, weight loss that has exceeded 25 percent of a persons total body weight within three months, severe dehydration, infection of any kind, low heart rate, anemia, low body temperature, vomiting up blood, and low potassium levels. ACUTE's hospital-based, inpatient medical stabilization care is intended for the patients with severe anorexia nervosa and extreme anorexia severity. Smith KE, Ellison JM, Crosby RD, Engel SG, Mitchell JE, Crow SJ, Peterson CB, Le Grange D, Wonderlich SA. Calls to numbers on a specific treatment center listing will be routed to that treatment center. and transmitted securely. In a significant revision to previous criteria, diagnosis of anorexia nervosa no longer requires the presence of amenorrhea. BMI 20-25 is ideal; 25-30 is overweight, and over 30 is obese. Starvation wreaks havoc on the body as well as the psyche, and people with anorexia suffer from a long list of physical symptoms that, at their most severe, are . Three-fourths of the patients had comorbidities, and one-third had 2 or more comorbid conditions. There should be a family focus on inner worth, not simply outer beauty, and the family's eating habits as a whole should be balanced and healthy. Epub 2012 Jan 24. The study was reported at the annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Eating Disorders in Pittsburgh. There is no single test that can be used to diagnose anorexia, and it is often present in conjunction with other mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Copyright 2023 American Academy of Family Physicians. End-stage anorexia nervosa in a young man: multifaceted metabolic, endocrine and infectious derangements managed in an internal medicine setting. Patients with bulimia nervosa may arrange complex schedules to accommodate episodes of binge eating and purging, often accompanied by frequent trips to the bathroom. :). Do you believe yourself to be fat when others say you are too thin? Even if the disorder is life-threatening, patients often refuse to be hospitalized, and are only admitted for treatment after pressure from clinicians, friends, teachers, or employers (Am J Psychiatry, 2007; 164:108). Results: The overall all-cause mortality rate for subjects with anorexia nervosa in these studies was 5.9% (178 deaths in 3006 people). doi: 10.1002/eat.22729. Many of these patients felt that they had been coerced into treatment. National Library of Medicine A doctor may present a suspected eating-disorder patient with a series of questions known as the SCOFF questionnaire. In patients with eating disorders, assess for psychiatric comorbidities, including depression and suicide risk, anxiety disorders, and substance use disorders. 8600 Rockville Pike Studies have shown only limited benefit of medications in the treatment of anorexia nervosa. The focus of initial treatment for patients who have anorexia nervosa with cachexia is restoring nutritional health, with weight gain as a surrogate marker. Unable to load your collection due to an error, Unable to load your delegates due to an error. 2019; 42:299). The patients average age was 25 years, 55% had AN, and a perception of coercion was strongest among the 35 patients under 18 years of age than among the other 104 adult patients. -, Anesthesiology. if their body mass index (BMI) is below 18.5 [1]. Eat. Perhaps you have decided to cut back on your intake or take some time away from drinking in an effort to improve your health. Some doctors may show concern if BMI falls . Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. We, and others, previously reported abnormalities in adipose tissue distribution after acute weight restoration in adult women with AN compared with body mass index-matched healthy control women. The average body mass index was 13.1, and the in-hospital mortality rate was 0.7 %. What are the two subtypes of anorexia nervosa? 1991 Jul;148(7):917-22 Because of the nature of AN, and due to the possibility of brain atrophy, most patients will resist any attempts at refeeding. [Guinness World Book of Records]. More than a third of the coerced patients had been admitted 6 or more times previously, compared to 1 in 10 of the voluntarily admitted patients. The disorder primarily affects adolescent females (aged 16-26) and is far less prevalent in males only approximately 10% of those diagnosed with anorexia are male. This site needs JavaScript to work properly. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Family-based treatment (the Maudsley method) is effective for treating anorexia nervosa in adolescents. sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal Anorexia can cause deterioration of most of an individual's body functions and result in death. Body mass index (BMI) at hospital admission in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) represents a prognostic marker for mortality, chronicity and future body weight. Behav. -, Reas D.L., R . loulou81. -, N Engl J Med. That being said, a BMI below 17.5 in adults is one of the common physical characteristics used to diagnose anorexia. It's not easy to navigate a new commitment to sobriety or recovery from substance use. However, you may be hospitalized if you have serious health complications. An attendant or parent may have to be present while they change. Gianini L., Roberto C.A., Attia E., Walsh B.T., Thomas J.J., Eddy K.T., Grilo C.M., Weigel T., Sysko R. Mild, moderate, meaningful? 8600 Rockville Pike Jrolon A, Perduca V, Delsedime N, Abbate-Daga G, Marzola E. Eat Weight Disord. We do not receive any commission or fee that is dependent upon which treatment provider a caller chooses. PMC Other feeding and eating disorders in the DSM-5 include pica, rumination disorder, and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder.3 This article focuses on anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. If your BMI is below 18.5, you are in the underweight range. An electrocardiogram will assess whether there is an irregular heartbeat as a result of unhealthy eating habits. If you are not sure how to correctly flair your post for trigger warnings, or how to add/edit post flair, please read our short guide by clicking here. you are very sick and your life is in danger. Physical exams, mental health assessments, blood tests, as well as standardized indexes like the body mass index (BMI) are typically used to diagnose anorexia nervosa. Most states require formal 504 plans that spell out special accommodations, such as snack breaks in class or allowances for missed school, to allow equal educational opportunities for students with medical disabilities. 3. Eating disorders are life-threatening conditions that are challenging to address; however, the primary care setting provides an important opportunity for critical medical and psychosocial intervention. [1] Patients with acute anorexia nervosa can suffer from either the restricting subtype of anorexia (AN-R) or the binge-purge subtype (AN-BP). 2008 Dec;34(6):570-6. doi: 10.1016/j.encep.2007.11.005. Copyright 2015 by the American Academy of Family Physicians. 2011 Jan;114(1):84-90 A psychotherapist or psychiatrist usually is involved. Involuntary treatment of an adolescent with AN is governed by the same laws that apply to other important decisions; parental consent is required as defined in common law. -. Disord. -. 2021 Jul;30(7):1081-1094. doi: 10.1007/s00787-020-01595-4. Some doctors may show concern if BMI falls below 20, especially if other disordered eating symptoms are present. As Schreyer and colleagues note, ethical guidelines require clinicians to provide care that benefits patients, avoids harm, and enhances self-determination, but treatment rejection by patients seriously ill with AN presents an ethical dilemma because simultaneously upholding these core principles is not possible (Int J Eat Disord. This study seeks to define the frequency of medical complications in this group of patients in order to help inform the care of individuals < 65% ideal body weight who seek treatment for their extreme eating disorders. A longitudinal investigation of mortality in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Blood pressure should be recorded with orthostatic vital signs. Medical stabilization of adolescents with nutritional insufficiency: a clinical care path. In young teens, a low BMI is not enough to diagnose anorexia nervosa. Gueguen J, Godart N, Chambry J, Brun-Eberentz A, Foulon C, Divac Phd SM, Guelfi JD, Rouillon F, Falissard B, Huas C. Int J Eat Disord. Today's Dietitian notes that depression often occurs in conjunction with rapid weight loss and loss of appetite. University of Turin Instituional Repository AperTO. What is the mortality rate for anorexia nervosa? One of the main purposes of admission for anorexia nervosa is to manage acute medical conditions related to this condition. . Feeding tubes may be needed in severe cases when the patient has a high resistance to eating.