Missouri medicine
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Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States (US) and much of the Westernized World with a steadily increasing prevalence in usage and abuse over the past decade, especially among adolescents. Much of the available data on 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, relates to its neurological effects and anti-emetic properties, with very little on the cardiovascular (CV) effects of THC. Available literature shows that THC has three major effects on the CV and the peripheral vasculature in the form of "cannabis arteritis," cannabis-induced vasospasms, and platelet aggregation, with an unknown verdict on the relationship between marijuana use and atherosclerosis progression. ⋯ Moreover, limitations on current views of marijuana and indirect causes of CV toxicity will be investigated, such as concurrent drug use, lifestyle, and mental health. The effects of marijuana on the CV system are extremely worrisome and likely need more attention due to the growing legalization of cannabis for medicinal and recreational use across the US. As a result, awareness among health care professionals about potential side effects and toxicities associated with acute and chronic exposure of cannabis will increase in importance.
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Malignant Hyperthermia (MH) is a life-threatening pharmacogenetic disorder which results from exposure to volatile anesthetic agents and depolarizing muscle relaxants. It manifests as a hypermetabolic response resulting in tachycardia, tachypnea, hyperthermia, hypercapnia, acidosis, muscle rigidity and rhabdomyolysis. ⋯ Dantrolene sodium is effective in the management of MH, and should be available whenever general anesthesia is administered. This review also aims to highlight the genetics and pathology of MH, along with its association with various inherited myopathy syndromes like central core disease, multi-mini core disease, Native-American myopathy, and King-Denborough syndrome.
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The profession of Anesthesiology Assistant has emerged in the past several decades as a vital component member to the anesthesiology care team model of care. Anesthesiology Assistants work collaboratively with physician anesthesiologists to provide the very highest in patient care in the myriad of clinical care arenas that the specialty is asked to be involved in, particularly as anesthesiology services expand outside of the traditional OR setting.
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Observational Study
A Cross-Sectional Study of Firearm Injuries in Emergency Department Patients.
This is a single-center cross-sectional study of consecutive patients who presented to an urban emergency department (ED) with firearm injuries between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2016. The objective of this study was to describe the characteristics of patients in this cohort and identify those at risk of firearm re-injury to inform future interventions. Patients in this cohort with both initial and recidivistic firearm injures were found to be predominately young, African American men.
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3D printing technology evolved in the 1980s, but has made great strides in the last decade from both a cost and accessibility standpoint. While most printers are employed for commercial uses, medical 3D printing is a growing application which serves to aid physicians in the diagnosis, therapeutic planning, and potentially the treatment of patients with complex diseases. In this article we will delineate the types of printers available to the consumer, the various materials which can be utilized, and potential applications of 3D models in the healthcare field.