Annals of emergency medicine
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We examine access to care for acute depression by insurance status compared to access for acute medical conditions in 9 metropolitan areas in the United States. ⋯ Our findings indicate that the process for obtaining urgent follow-up appointments is systematically different for patients seeking behavioral health care than for those with physical complaints. The use of voicemail, in lieu of having a person answer the telephone, is much more prevalent in behavioral than physical health settings. More work is needed to determine the effect of this practice on depressed individuals and vulnerable populations.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Do minority or white patients respond to brief alcohol intervention in trauma centers? A randomized trial.
The current study evaluates whether the effectiveness of brief alcohol intervention in reducing 6- and 12-month risk of injuries in a large Level I urban trauma center varies according to trauma patients' ethnicity. ⋯ Our study, congruent with some recent publications, implies that there are some patient- and provider-related impediments that could restrict the effectiveness of brief intervention programs in trauma centers, regardless of patient ethnicity. Unless those impediments are identified and eliminated, assuming that brief intervention will be an effective strategy for controlling future alcohol-related injuries among trauma patients and should be provided under any circumstances might not be reasonable.
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Rodent and monkey research has shown that ketamine can induce accelerated programmed nerve cell death (apoptosis) when administered in high doses, for prolonged periods, or both. Concern about similar neurotoxicity with human therapeutic use has prompted ongoing investigations by the Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health. If the results of these inquiries are unfavorable to ketamine, such action could ultimately lead to restricted availability of this drug or even its discontinuation from the market. This article discusses the limitations of the published animal research, the challenges in extrapolating such data to humans, the need for further animal and human investigations, and the potential adverse effect on current clinical practice that might result, should the use of ketamine be restricted or the drug removed from the market.