Treatment of premature ejaculation: New drugs and treatment strategies

This review discusses treatment options for men with premature ejaculation (PE), a common sexual dysfunction characterized by short ejaculatory latency, decreased sexual satisfaction, and distress. For a number of reasons, including embarrassment and the belief that PE is a normal part of aging, that it has no effective treatment, or that it will resolve itself, few men with PE seek treatment. Although several treatment options exist (eg, behavioral, cognitive, and sex therapy methods; desensitizing drugs; off-label use of antidepressants, phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, or à-blockers), the majority of men with PE are not satisfied with their results. New pharmacologic drugs develped specifically for the treatment of PE are undergoing evaluation in clinical trials. For example, recent clinical research studies have revealed on-demand administration of one such drug, dapoxetine, which achieved significant improvements in ejaculatory latency, control over ejaculation, and satisfaction with sexual intercourse. In addition, partners of men who received dapoxetine likewise reported improved satisfaction with sexual intercourse. Future studies may reveal that integration of pharmacologic drugs with psychologic and/or behavioral therapy techniques may be the optimal approach to the management of PE. PE is a treatable condition, and new drugs in development may provide benefits over those available.     

Dietary Tryptophan Reverses Alcohol-induced Impairment of Facial Recognition But Not Verbal Recall

The present study demonstrates that alcohol-induced memory impairment can be attenuated by pretreatment with an oral tryptophan supplementation. These results provide support for the role of a brain serotonin deficit in this impairment and highlight the impact a dietary manipulation can have on a complex behavioral process.     

Patients with prosthetic joints: Are they at risk when receiving invasive dental procedures?

Most prosthetic joint infections (PJI) are due to wound contamination at the time of surgery. Some infections occur due to the hematogenous spread of bacteria from distant sites of infection. A review of the literature fails to associate PJI with transient bacteremias from invasive dental procedures. Several authors have described conditions which, they believe, render patients with prosthetic joints more at risk for infection. Prosthetic joint patients with these "high risk" conditions have the same types of infecting organisms as other patients with PJI. This indicates that the infecting bacteria are from wound contamination or distant sites of infection and not related to dental procedure bacteremias. Based on this review, antibiotic prophylaxis is not indicated for patients with prosthetic joints when receiving invasive dental procedures, since there is no proven benefit and there are known risks involved with the use of antibiotics. However, the American Dental Association (ADA) and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), in an advisory statement, suggest prophylaxis for "high risk" patients. The ADA and AAOS recommend a single dose of amoxicillin, cephradine, or clindamycin when prophylaxis is selected. The dentist is ultimately responsible for making treatment recommendations for his or her patients.     

The effects of dietary modification as denned by NACNE on the eating habits of 28 people

Twenty-eight members of the general public, with little nutritional knowledge and no previous commitment to dietary change, completed 7-day-weighed dietary diaries. They then attempted to change their diets, where appropriate, in line with current nutritional guidelines.
The panel achieved changes in diet that were consistent with the recent recommendations but several problems arose. In particular, although fat levels were reduced, energy levels fell and fibre goals were not reached; in addition, certain of the initial vitamin and mineral intakes gave cause for concern. These results emphasize the importance of giving advice not only about foods that might be reduced in the diet, but also about food that might be used as alternatives. They also illustrate the difficulty of persuading people to make radical changes to their eating habits even when given personal advice from a nutritionist.
The panel was small and not necessarily representative, but the results illustrate the need for more dietary analysis studies. It is not enough simply to formulate appropriate guidelines from a nutritional point of view; it is also important to ensure that the public understands them and that people make sensible decisions about their diet.     

Facilitating Perinatal Grieving Between the Mother and the Father

Society often expects mothers and fathers to share equally in the perinatal grief process because the child was a common bond between them. Unfortunately, in perinatal grief, this is not always the case. The mother and the father can experience incongruent grieving and use discordant coping mechanisms. It is important to evaluate these differences to facilitate communication between the distraught parents. Improved communication can in turn facilitate the grieving process.