1. An emergency psychiatric consultation was requested for a 48-year-old man who was admitted to the coronary care unit (CCU) with massive myocardial infarction (MI). He was reported to be acutely agitated, and he wanted to sign out against medical advice. The reason for consultation was to determine the patient’s competence to sign out. When the consultant arrived in the CCU, a number of staff members were surrounding the patient as he attempted to exit the cubicle. He shouted, “I want to get out! You cannot hold me here!” The consultant told him, “I am a psychiatrist, and I am here to help you. I think it might be possible for you to leave if you wish, but I need to speak with you first.” “Not here, not in this room!” replied the patient. “OK, would it be OK if we talked in the waiting room?” The patient agreed. He was placed in a gurney and wheeled to the waiting room. The consultant said, “Since you became quite anxious and flushed, I would like the nurse to give you a sedative to help you relax as we talk.” Lorazepam 1 mg IV was administered, which calmed the patient considerably. In the interview, the consultant learned that the patient became panicky when he was rushed into the particular cubicle in the CCU, as it was the same cubicle in which his father had died of an MI some 4 months prior to the patient’s own admission. The patient was convinced that he would die in that cubicle just as his father did. When the patient was offered another cubicle, he gladly accepted it without any hesitation. He recovered uneventfully. 8