Combination of lithium and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is associated with higher odds of delirium and cognitive problems in a large national sample across the United States

BackgroundLithium is a helpful adjunct to patients undergoing ECT. However, only case reports and limited data suggest increase risk of delirium. Thus, this continues to be a controversial issue.ObjectiveIn this study, we examine 1) The association and odds of delirium and cognitive problems with ECT and lithium (ECT + Li) combination compared to ECT alone, 2) If positively associated, would this association vary by both type of mood episode and type of disorder?MethodsA national sample of 64,728 adult psychiatric inpatients across the US (identified from a total data of about 70 million total discharges annually) was analyzed using linear-by-linear association and logistic regression to assess the odds ratio (OR) for delirium and cognitive impairment for those treated with lithium (N = 158), ECT (N = 64148), or ECT + Li (N = 422) after adjusting for demographics and psychiatric diagnoses.ResultsThe prevalence of delirium was higher in the ECT + Lithium group (5.7%) vs. ECT only (0.6%) or lithium only groups (0%). Patients managed with ECT + Lithium have 11.7-fold higher odds (95% CI 7.55–17.99, P < 0.001) of delirium compared to ECT alone. In the ECT + Li group, delirium prevalence was 7.8% in unipolar depression, 3.4% in bipolar depressed, 0% in bipolar mania.ConclusionThese results are surprising given the fading concern about delirium association with ECT + lithium combination. The high odds in the combination group warrant clinical caution, use of lower lithium doses (if combinations cannot be avoided), and vigilance regarding early signs of delirium. These results warrant replication in future studies.     

家庭医生政策执行方式的行为逻辑

本文采用扎根理论,利用2017—2018年上海3家社区卫生服务中心的访谈材料,从执行者行为的微观角度归纳并构建家庭医生如何选择政策执行方式的理论解释。研究归纳了家庭医生相关政策的执行中存在的三类政策执行方式:忠实执行、积极变通和消极变通。这三类政策执行方式因政策与情境契合度(简称契合度)的不同而区分。其中契合度较高时,容易发生忠实执行,即完全忠实于政策设计的执行方式;当政策与情境有不契合时,执行成本升高,出于职责观念和行政压力,执行者首先使用积极变通来降低执行成本,用自由裁量权在操作中对政策作修补和本土化,从而实现政策初衷;消极变通因任务契合度过低且具有强制性而产生,消极变通中出现了目标替代,仅表面应付上级考核指标,降低了执行成本、维护了岗位利益。结论:政策执行方式的行为逻辑可以通过契合度、职责观念、执行成本三个因素得到解释。本文整体、平衡地关注了消极与积极的政策变通,弥补以往研究只关注消极变通的不足;建议应完善决策制度保证基层执行者的决策参与,从而提升决策质量。     

刍议医院纪检监察在医院建设中的作用和实施

随着社会经济的快速发展,国内医疗事业的竞争日益激烈,医疗机构需要积极提高自身的业务水平和管理水平,才能强化医疗技术水平,获得更多的社会经济效益。在国内医疗体制深化变革的趋势下,纪检监察在医院建设中发挥着越来越重要的作用,主要职责是管理和监督医院各项制度的落实、健康环境的建设等,旨在规范机构医疗服务,提高机构服务质量,促使医院树立良好的社会形象,保障医院的社会经济效益。该文针对医院纪检监察在医院建设中的作用和实施展开分析。     

Challenges of COVID-19 in children in low- and middle-income countries

As the coronavirus pandemic extends to low and middle income countries (LMICs), there are growing concerns about the risk of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in populations with high prevalence of comorbidities, the impact on health and economies more broadly and the capacity of existing health systems to manage the additional burden of COVID-19. The direct effects of COVID are less of a concern in children, who seem to be largely asymptomatic or to develop mild illness as occurs in high income countries; however children in LMICs constitute a high proportion of the population and may have a high prevalence of risk factors for severe lower respiratory infection such as HIV or malnutrition. Further diversion of resources from child health to address the pandemic among adults may further impact on care for children. Poor living conditions in LMICs including lack of sanitation, running water and overcrowding may facilitate transmission of SARS-CoV-2. The indirect effects of the pandemic on child health are of considerable concern, including increasing poverty levels, disrupted schooling, lack of access to school feeding schemes, reduced access to health facilities and interruptions in vaccination and other child health programs. Further challenges in LMICs include the inability to implement effective public health measures such as social distancing, hand hygiene, timely identification of infected people with self-isolation and universal use of masks. Lack of adequate personal protective equipment, especially N95 masks is a key concern for health care worker protection. While continued schooling is crucial for children in LMICs, provision of safe environments is especially challenging in overcrowded resource constrained schools. The current crisis is a harsh reminder of the global inequity in health in LMICs. The pandemic highlights key challenges to the provision of health in LMICs, but also provides opportunities to strengthen child health broadly in such settings.     

Spectral domain optical coherence tomography–based prevalence of hydroxychloroquine maculopathy in Indian patients on hydroxychloroquine therapy: A utopia of underdiagnosis

BackgroundSpectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) detects early structural damage to macula in patients on Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) therapy. The current screening protocols emphasize concurrent use of both SD-OCT and Visual field analysis (VFA) which detects functional damage to detect Hydroxychloroquine maculopathy. However, VFA is a time-consuming and subjective test which is often neglected. This study gives the prevalence of Hydroxychloroquine maculopathy using SD-OCT alone which often fails to detect macular damage in peri-foveal and extra-foveal area of the retina.MethodsThree hundred thirty four eyes of 167 patients taking systemic Hydroxychloroquine were studied with SD-OCT macular cube 512 x 128 to diagnose structural macular damage to detect prevalence of Hydroxychloroquine maculopathy.ResultsOut of 167 patients, only four patients showed features suggestive of Hydroxychloroquine maculopathy. One patient had ELM loss, two had para-foveal and one had peri-foveal IS-OS disruption. The SD-OCT gave prevalence as 2.4%.ConclusionSD-OCT alone can underdiagnose burden of Hydroxychloroquine maculopathy (prevalence = 2.4%) when compared to studies which use both SD-OCT and Visual field analysis (prevalence = 7.5%).     

Neurological and neurocognitive functions from intrauterine methylmercury exposure

In the 1950s, large-scale food poisoning caused by methylmercury was identified in Minamata, Japan. Although severe intrauterine exposure cases (ie, congenital Minamata disease patients) are well known, possible impacts of methylmercury exposure in utero among residents, which is likely at lower levels than in congenital Minamata disease patients, are rarely explored. In 2014, the authors examined neurological and neurocognitive functions among 18 exposed participants in Minamata, focusing on fine motor, visuospatial construction, and executive functions. More than half of the participants had some fine motor and coordination difficulties. In addition, several participants had lower performance for neurocognitive function tests (the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure test and Keio version of the Wisconsin card sorting test). These deficits imply diffuse brain damage. This study suggests possible neurological and neurocognitive impacts of prenatal exposure to methylmercury among exposed residents of Minamata.     

Dynamic features of placebo effects addressing persistent insomnia disorder: A meta‐analysis of placebo‐controlled randomized clinical trials

It has been accepted knowledge that placebo effects have been significant in insomnia clinical trials. However, the dynamic features of placebo effects have not been clarified. Our aim was therefore to conduct a meta‐analysis of placebo‐controlled randomized clinical trials to characterize the dynamic features of placebo effects addressing persistent insomnia disorder. We performed a comprehensive literature search for randomized, placebo‐controlled, double‐blind clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of therapeutic regimens addressing persistent insomnia disorder. We pooled separate effect size estimates (Hedge's g) of placebo and regimen conditions across trials for outcome measures, and multilevel mixed‐effects models were used to explore potential sources of heterogeneity. The placebo effects were significant and robust to improve the symptoms of insomnia, and subjective measures were significantly smaller than objective measures (p < .001), but placebo response rates were nearly identical between subjective and objective measures. The overall placebo effects were influenced by publication year (p = .015), treatment duration (p = .010), sample size (p < .001) and therapeutic regimen (p < .001). Placebo effects showed a diphasic feature within treatment duration: initially a decrease and subsequently being stable; a sustained decline trend after withdrawals; and a steady‐to‐upward trend for a mixed therapeutic regimens in a large‐scale period over decades. The dynamic features of placebo effects addressing persistent insomnia disorder may lead to the development and validation of dosing strategies that require less medication exposure to maintain clinical effects.     

Safety of local anesthetics

Local anesthetics are essential medications for the conduction of dermatological procedures. They stop the depolarization of nerve fibers and are divided into two main categories, the amide and ester types. Systemic toxicity with reflex on the central nervous and cardiovascular systems is their most feared adverse reactions, and the anaphylactic reaction is the most concerning one. Although potentially fatal, these events are extremely rare, so local anesthetics are considered safe for use in in-office procedures.