Eating disorders are common and every clinician will at some point be faced with a patient seriously unwell as a result of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder or avoidant restrictive food intake disorder.

This website allows you to access authoritative guidance on how to approach the assessment and management of these conditions when they present as medical emergencies.

Here are the areas on which we advise:

Links to the relevant sections of Guidance on Recognising and Managing Medical Emergencies in Eating Disorders published by the Royal College of Psychiatrists are available here:

The MEED checklist

The MEED checklist (PDF) is intended for use by front line clinicians eg Emergency Department staff. It covers three areas: Assessment, Refeeding and Management. In the assessment column, three questions are posed:

  1. What is the diagnosis?
  2. Is the patient medically compromised?
  3. Is the patient consenting to treatment?

The refeeding column covers high and low risk of refeeding syndrome and what to do in each case. The Management column covers

  1. Medical-Psychiatric collaboration
  2. Nurse training
  3. Risk increasing behaviours

Summary sheets for each professional and supporter

The summary sheets (PDF format) are introductions to MEED for each of a large number of groups, including professionals and people affected by an eating disorder: