Connecticut medicine
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Connecticut medicine · Jun 2016
ReviewThe Opioid Crisis and the Physician's Role in Contributing to its Resolution: Step One--Prevention of Overdoses.
The escalation of opioid prescriptions, associated misuse, and related mortality continues to pose public health challenges in the United States. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that opioid overdose death rates remain high, suggesting the need for improved access to, and use of naloxone to save lives. ⋯ Although there have been efforts to encourage physicians to prescribe naloxone to patients at-risk for opioid overdose, the rate of prescribing remains suboptimal. This article outlines the epidemiology of overdoses, discusses naloxone distribution programs and myths surrounding its use, and reviews relevant legislative developments in Connecticut and proper counseling of patients and families to encourage broader education and prescribing of naloxone.
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Connecticut medicine · Mar 2016
Case ReportsBizarre Paranoid Delusions Associated With an Implanted Surgical Device.
We describe a case involving bizarre paranoid delusions following implantation of a sacral nerve stimulator, and review the literature regarding psychotic symptoms related to surgical implants. A 64-year-old female developed bizarre paranoid delusions regarding a sacral nerve stimulator that had been implanted two years previously for dysfunctional voiding. The patient believed that the wires from the sacral nerve electrodes had grown up her spine and were affecting her vision as well as controlling her thoughts. ⋯ The delusions gradually abated as she adjusted to the loss of her mother. Fortunately the symptoms abated entirely with supportive care. We suspect that given the frequency of surgical implants that the association with delusional thoughts might be much higher than suggested by a literature review.
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Connecticut medicine · Nov 2015
Case ReportsA Temporal Correlation Between Electrocardiogram and Computed Tomography in Acquired Postpneumonectomy Dextrocardia.
Herein, we describe a temporal correlation between the electrocardiographic changes and the chest computed tomographic findings in a 73-year-old woman who underwent a right pneumonectomy (RP) for lung adenocarcinoma.