Medicine

Virgin Coconut Oil May Prevent Damaged Skin from Hand Sanitizer Overuse

The utility of virgin coconut oil as a natural agent to counteract the adverse effects of alcohol-based hand sanitizers during COVID-19 is assessed.

No Benefit From Continuous Positive Airway Pressure After Elective Major Intraperitoneal Surgery

Members of the PRISM trial group investigated whether CPAP administered immediately after major abdominal surgery could prevent postoperative morbidity.

First Alzheimer Disease Prevention Trial Using Amyloid-Targeting Drugs Gantenerumab or Solanezumab

The researchers conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, multi-arm trial of gantenerumab or solanezumab in participants with dominantly inherited Alzheimer disease across asymptomatic and symptomatic disease stages.

Epic Sepsis Model Poorly Predictive Due to Low Sensitivity, Inadequate Calibration

This retrospective, external validation cohort study assessed the Epic Sepsis Model as a predictor of sepsis and evaluated its clinical value.

Shingles: Raising Awareness and Promoting Vaccination

Despite the availability of a highly effective shingles vaccine and almost universal risk among those born before 1980, Americans are not getting vaccinated.

Tympanostomy Tubes vs Medical Management for Recurrent Acute Otitis Media

As official recommendations about placing tympanostomy tubes conflict, researchers aimed to determine which children would benefit from tympanostomy tube placement instead of medical management for recurrent otitis media infections.

Post-Traumatic Coma Prognosis is Difficult to Predict

Bianciardi and colleagues investigated the patterns of microbleeds associated with post-traumatic coma and the recovery of consciousness in young comatose patients.

Addressing Sleep Disturbances of Parkinson Disease

Sleep disturbances may affect 40% to 90% of patients with PD, and a 2020 study found that about half of patients with PD had multiple sleep disorders.

Increased Patient Satisfaction With Extended Release Buprenorphine for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder

If immediate-release and extended-release formulations of buprenorphine are similarly efficacious to treat opioid use disorder, is one superior?

Many Individuals With Serious Mental Illness Successfully Quit Smoking With a Scalable, Multicomponent Intervention Program

The study authors sought to determine if a brief, multicomponent, sustained care smoking cessation intervention tailored to individuals with severe mental illness can facilitate treatment engagement and abstinence following hospital discharge.

Novel Biosensor Aids in the Discovery of a Psychedelic Drug Without Hallucinogenic Effects

To better understand the conformational effects of psychedelic compounds, researchers developed psychLight, a genetically encoded biosensor that generates fluorescence in 5-HT2AR.

COVID-19 Lockdown: Melanomas Still Diagnosed but Follow-Up Decreased

Italian researchers retrospectively compared dermatologic and surgical activity in their melanoma unit from February to May, 2020, with data from the same period in 2019.

Atorvastatin With Sodium Valproate Can Reduce Migraine Attacks and Pain Severity

Atorvastatin may have augmentative effects with sodium valproate in the reduction of migraines with aura.

Combination Immunotherapy Effective for Patients With Melanoma and Asymptomatic Brain Metastases

The combination of nivolumab with ipilimumab is an effective treatment option for patients with advanced melanoma with asymptomatic brain metastases

Intralesional Vitamin D Injections Can Significantly Reduce Keloid Thickness

The efficacy of intralesional injection of vitamin D in the treatment of keloids, both clinically and ultrasonically, was evaluated.

OrthoDx: Cyst on Index Finger

A 75-year-old woman presents with a cyst on her right index finger that has been present for 3 weeks. What is the best treatment option?

Epidermolysis Bullosa: Treatment Challenges and Emerging Developments

Even though it is often thought of as a skin condition, many forms of epidermolysis bullosa are truly multisystem disorders, which makes coordinating the care complex.

Case Report: Scurvy in an Incarcerated Man

An ill-appearing patient presents with a complaint of lower extremity rash, dyspnea on exertion, fatigue, and orthostasis.

Approach Bias Retraining With Virtual Reality Technology Reduces Smoking

The researchers combined virtual reality with Approach Bias Modification to determine if this would improve smokers’ motivation to quit smoking and reduce the number of dropouts from smoking cessation programs.

Expert Q&A: MAPS and Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy

After decades of limited research and legal roadblocks to medical and recreational use, psychedelic drugs are rapidly remerging as treatments of interest in psychiatry. We interviewed two experts in the field.