We report a case of a suicide attempt in a young male, where ingestion of antihistamine pheniramine maleate was complicated by nontraumatic rhabdomyolysis and oliguric acute renal failure. Rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure is a rarely reported but potentially serious complication among patients who present to the emergency after intentional overdoses making recognition and prompt intervention essential. We also describe the potential mechanism of muscle injury in antihistamine overdose. (Source: Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine)MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.

(Source: BMJ Online First)

(Source: BMJ Online First)

This study investigated possible differences in suicide risk associated with different AEDs.The use of AEDs in the Danish population from 1997 to 2006 was determined by prescription claims. The risk of suicide associated with use of AEDs was estimated by case-crossover analyses, where each case serves at its own control during different periods. For sensitivity, the risk of suicide was estimated by a time-dependent Cox proportional-hazard analysis in AED treatment-naïve patients.There were 6780 cases committing suicide in the 10-year study period, of which 422 received AED treatment at the time of suicide. The case-crossover analysis estimated AED treatment initiation to increase the risk of suicide (odds ratio (OR): 1.84, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.36-2.49). Clonazepam (OR: 2.01, CI...

Mice engineered without P21 gene regrew holes punched in their ears with no scarsHuman regeneration has to date been the preserve of science fiction. But mammals may have a dormant ability to regrow healthy tissue, research suggests, possibly paving the way for scar-free healing at some point in the future.Biologists believe that a gene called p21 may hold the key to spontaneous healing, which could allow limited regeneration of the human body, as witnessed in newts, flatworms and the hydra.It is thought that in mammals this healing potential has been lost through evolution, but may lie dormant in cells and could be reactivated by switching off the p21 gene. Mice engineered in the laboratory to lack the p21 gene, were able to renew surgically removed tissue so that no trace of an injury re...

A South Florida psychiatrist who was treating a 7-year-old patient before the boy committed suicide last year has received a warning from federal drug regulators who say he failed "to protect the rights, safety and welfare" of children enrolled in... (Source: OrlandoSentinel: Medical Research)MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.

Deborah Moggach on how her mother was imprisoned for helping a sick and elderly friend to die (Source: Telegraph Health)

ERT, a health-care technology services company, has introduced a new system for monitoring potential suicidal behavior of patients in clinical drug studies. (ERES) (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

Conclusions: Structured treatments improve outcomes for individuals with borderline personality disorder. A focus on specific psychological processes brings additional benefits to structured clinical support. Mentalization-based treatment is relatively undemanding in terms of training so it may be useful for implementation into general mental health services. Further evaluations by independent research groups are now required. (Reprinted with permission from American Journal of Psychiatry 2009; 166:1355–1364) (Source: FOCUS)

(NaturalNews) I'd like to shine the spotlight on one of medicine's sacred cows- the belief that lowering cholesterol with drugs protects against heart attacks and premature death. Our obsession with cholesterol began in the 1950s when studies linked high consumption of animal fat with high rates of heart disease. This opened the door for clinical trials that laid the foundation of a new paradigm: the cholesterol theory of cardiovascular disease.This theory has had profound ramifications. It changed the way we eat (fats bad, carbohydrates good) and contributed to our problems with obesity and diabetes. It wormed its way into "clinical practice guidelines"- cholesterol management has become a "standard of care" that doctors are expected to follow. It spawned the invasive heart surgery indust...

Past studies of the underlying structure of depressive symptoms have yielded mixed results, with some studies supporting a continuous conceptualization and others supporting a categorical one. However, no study has examined this research question with an exclusively older adult sample, despite the potential uniqueness of late-life depressive symptoms. In the present study, the underlying structure of late-life depressive symptoms was examined among a sample of 1,289 individuals across 3 waves of data collection spanning 20 years. The authors employed a taxometric methodology using indicators of depression derived from the Research Diagnostic Criteria (R. L. Spitzer, J. Endicott, & E. Robins, 1978). Maximum eigenvalue analyses and inchworm consistency tests generally supported a categorical...MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.

The psychological well-being of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an important issue, and the advent of measurement tools has led to a better understanding of the mental aspects associated with this chronic illness. Patients with RA are more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression and low self-esteem, with high levels of associated mortality and suicide. The loss of the ability to carry out daily functions owing to RA is also associated with the onset of depressive symptoms. Furthermore, the psychological effects of RA can extend to the partners, families and carers of sufferers. Conventional treatment has focused on treating the symptoms of RA and containment of disease progression, but may not necessarily address the psychological issues associated with the condition. Furtherm...

We examined the utility of the Affective States Questionnaire (ASQ) in predicting acute risk for suicidal behavior. Subjects at a VHA Medical Center were interviewed using the ASQ and again 3 months later when their suicidal behaviors over that period were... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

Conclusions. The results suggest that decreasing seasonality of suicides could be a good marker of lowering rate of depression-related suicides in the population particularly among males. PMID: 20218927 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry)

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether Attachment-Based Family Therapy (ABFT) is more effective than Enhanced Usual Care (EUC) for reducing suicidal ideation and depressive symptoms in adolescents. METHOD: This was a randomized controlled trial of suicidal adolesc... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

This study examines exposure to suicidal behavior and likelihood of ... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.

[Abstract unavailable] Language: Eng... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

OBJECTIVE:: To analyze differences in the variables associated with severity of suicidal intent and in the main factors associated with intent when comparing younger and older adults. DESIGN:: Observational, descriptive cross-sectional study. SETTING:: ... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

Background: The present study examines a population of criminal justice clients for suspected substance-related problems. Aims: It aims to identify variables associated with a history of suicide attempt (SA). Method: 6,836 clients were interviewed with the... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))

Background: Previous work has suggested that anxiety disorders are associated with suicide attempts. However, many studies have been limited by lack of accounting for factors that could influence this relationship, notably personality disorders. This st... (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))