Psychosomatics
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Twenty-one patients with primary chronic pain received electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for concurrent affective symptoms. Twenty of the 21 patients experienced improvement in the level of their pain. ECT can be an effective treatment modality for patients who have chronic pain complicated by affective symptoms.
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Famotidine is a histamine H2-receptor antagonist used in inpatient settings for prevention of stress ulcers and is showing increasing popularity because of its low cost. Although all of the currently available H2-receptor antagonists have shown the propensity to cause delirium, only two previously reported cases have been associated with famotidine. ⋯ The pharmacokinetics of famotidine are reviewed, with no change in its metabolism in the elderly population seen. The implications of using famotidine in elderly persons are discussed.