A January 2021 article published by Dr. Curtis McKnight and co [from Phoenix, Arizona] in the Journal of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry showcased a shocking case describing a 30-year-old male with type 1 bipolar disorder and a history of intravenous drug use who was admitted after being brought to the emergency department for confusion with concerns that he was going through depressive and manic states. He reportedly had not been taking his medications but rather he had been researching ways to self-treat his depression and opioid dependence. After reading about the therapeutic effects of hallucinogenic…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Trulance (plecanatide) for the treatment of Chronic Idiopathic Constipation (CIC) in adult patients. “No one medication works for all patients suffering from chronic gastrointestinal disorders,” said Julie Beitz, M.D., director of the Office of Drug Evaluation III in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “With the availability of new therapies, patients and their doctors can select the most appropriate treatment for their condition.” According to the National Institutes of Health, an estimated 42 million people are affected by constipation. Chronic idiopathic constipation is a diagnosis given to…
US Patient Mortality Lower With Non-US-Trained Physicians Ricki Lewis, PhD [from Medscape] Medicare patients admitted to the hospital and treated by internists who graduated from medical schools outside the United States had lower 30-day mortality than matched patients cared for by graduates of US schools, according to results of a study published online today in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). To practice in the US, international medical school graduates must pass two exams on medical knowledge and one assessment of clinical skills, and complete accredited residency training here. However, medical schools outside the US are not accredited…