1/9. Negative outcome factors for addicted migrants.Several risk factors as well as protective factors are discussed in the development of mental disorders among migrants. With respect to addiction there are reports of an increased prevalence despite a higher threshold for utilisation of the treatment system. A case report is presented that exemplifies psychosocial and legal factors affecting the development and treatment possibilities of addicted migrants. It calls for a closer co-ordination between institutions and authorities in favour of the addicted individual.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = mental disorder (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/9. Corneal complications following abuse of topical anesthetics.PURPOSE: To describe corneal complications in three patients following abuse of topical anesthetics. MATERIALS AND methods: We describe one case with bilateral corneal perforation, another with unilateral corneal perforation and a third case of chronic keratitis following excessive use of topical anesthetics. RESULTS: Two patients continued to instill topical anesthetic drops despite all recommendations to stop. The result was a bilateral corneal perforation in the first case and a large unilateral descemetocele in the second. The third patient who had chronic toxic keratitis discontinued the anesthetic drops and after the appropriate treatment the cornea returned to normal. Corneal grafting and conjunctival flaps were used to seal the corneal perforation but the long-term anatomical and functional results were very poor. CONCLUSIONS: The initial presentation of this rare clinical entity creates difficulties in reaching a correct diagnosis. A presumed acanthamoeba keratitis is the first choice among many similar conditions. Thus abuse of topical ocular anesthetic drops should be included in the differential diagnosis of cases of chronic keratitis as it may masquerade as acanthamoeba keratitis. A current or past history of psychiatric and mental disorders or psychoactive substance abuse is important in the diagnosis. Functional and anatomical results after appropriate treatment are usually poor. Psychiatric counselling is extremely helpful and is in fact mandatory in the management of these patients.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = mental disorder (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/9. Extrapyramidal side effects of antiemetics presenting as psychiatric illness.Although extrapyramidal side effects of two commonly used antiemetics, metoclopramide and prochlorperazine, are well known, it may be difficult for even the experienced practitioner to distinguish some of these extrapyramidal reactions from such psychiatric symptoms as anxiety, depression, or catatonia. Certain patient groups have increased susceptibility to these extrapyramidal reactions, including patients under 30, those with AIDS, those with renal disease, oncology patients, and possibly women. physicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for depression, anxiety, or catatonia if their patients are taking antiemetics. These symptoms may be extrapyramidal side effects of the antiemetic rather than indications of a primary mental disorder.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = mental disorder (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/9. cyclosporine-associated organic mental disorders in liver transplant recipients.The cases presented here, along with a preliminary body of clinical literature, suggest that, in conjunction with other factors, cyclosporine has an etiologic role in the production of a variety of organic mental disorders, including delirium, generalized anxiety disorder, hallucinosis, and organic mood disorder-depressed. The cases in this report were chosen in part because they illustrate definable organic syndromes. Other transplant recipients may experience less severe or isolated symptoms, such as sleep-wake reversal, insomnia, anxiety, lethargy, or mild confusional states that do meet full criteria for organic mental syndrome but that appear to be related to cyclosporine. Persecutory delusions may also occur in both floridly delirious patients and in patients with only minimal disorientation. Mental state aberrations most commonly begin within 2 weeks of treatment with cyclosporine, and, frequently, most acute symptoms resolve within a few weeks of onset. However, in more severely delirious patients or in patients with medical courses complicated by other problems, symptoms may continue longer. In particular, difficulties with memory and with the acquisition of new information may persist for several weeks. Less commonly, mental syndromes may also occur following longer periods of treatment with cyclosporine. Individual vulnerability appears to vary widely, and many patients demonstrate mental complications at cyclosporine levels that are in the moderate therapeutic range for immunosuppression. In addition, patients who have recently been started on cyclosporine and who demonstrate high therapeutic, rapidly rising, or toxic serum levels may be at greatest risk. Other risk factors may include intravenous administration, hypomagnesemia, hypocholesterolemia, and concurrent methylprednisolone bolus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 5keywords = mental disorder (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/9. Carmofur-induced organic mental disorders.Organic mental disorder was observed in a 29-year-old female in the prognostic period after the onset of carmofur-induced leukoencephalopathy. Symptoms such as euphoria, emotional lability and puerile attitude noted in the patient were diagnosed as organic personality syndrome according to the criteria defined in the DSM-III-R. It is referred to as a frontal lobe syndrome. brain CT revealed a periventricular low density area in the frontal white matter and moderate dilatation of the lateral ventricles especially at the bilateral anterior horns. Consequently, carmofur-induced leukoencephalopathy may uncommonly result in organic personality syndrome in the residual state. It may be attributed to the structural damage to the frontal lobe.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 5keywords = mental disorder (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/9. Substance-induced organic mental disorders. A clinical and conceptual approach.Drug abuse is a prevalent problem in society and often occurs as abuse of multiple substances. The authors present a model for understanding the clinical symptomatology and course of substance-induced organic mental disorders and present a hypothesis that explains how various factors might interact to produce the disorder. A clinical case is used to illustrate the use of this approach and suggestions are made for the diagnosis and treatment of these disorders.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 5keywords = mental disorder (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/9. anorexia nervosa, laxative abuse, hypopotassemia and distal renal tubular acidosis.A case of anorexia nervosa in a 28-year-old woman with laxative abuse, hypopotassemia and severe metabolic acidosis, is described. The diagnosis of classical renal tubular acidosis, Type I, was confirmed by our inability to decrease urinary pH beyond 5.5 and to increase ammonia excretion during an ammonium chloride loading test. A bicarbonate loading test and normal plasma aldosterone with high renin activity excluded proximal renal tubular acidosis, hyporeninemic-hypoaldosteronemic renal tubular acidosis and Bartter's syndrome. The inability to increase ammonium excretion during severe metabolic acidosis following ammonium chloride loading did not favor the possibility of a transient physiological adaptation of ammoniagenesis at the tubular cell level, related to potassium depletion. Although mental disorder, laxative abuse, abstinence from food intake and severe potassium depletion intermingled in a vicious cycle, we assume that one of the following possibilities may explain the clinical presentation in our patient: either two separated and unrelated disorders, or laxative abuse as the cause of renal tubular acidification impairment.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = mental disorder (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/9. Misuse of prescription drugs.The elderly person is at risk of drug misuse and related problems because of frequent use of prescription drugs, biologic factors, and social circumstances associated with aging. confusion, falls, and aggravation of untoward emotional states are examples of the adverse consequences. diagnosis of drug dependency states is difficult because of the overlap of general medical disorders and mental disorders and a lack of suitable diagnostic criteria for the aged. Two case examples of drug misuse are given, and the management of drug misuse and the treatment of drug dependence on an inpatient and outpatient basis are discussed. Future research directions are suggested.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = mental disorder (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/9. violence and severe mental disorder in clinical and community populations: the effects of psychotic symptoms, comorbidity, and lack of treatment.This paper examines links between violent behavior, type and severity of psychopathology, substance abuse comorbidity, and community mental health treatment, using matched data from two surveys: the National Institute of Mental Health Epidemiologic Catchment Area project and the Triangle Mental Health Survey (a north carolina study of adults with severe and persistent mental illness). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to model the risk of violent acts attributable to three domains of independent variables: sociodemographic characteristics, clinical diagnoses and symptomatology, and mental health services utilization. Findings include: (1) Symptom severity was significantly greater in the clinically-selected sample than in the community survey of respondents with comparable diagnoses who self-reported using mental health services; (2) violence risk was related to psychoticism/agitation in a curvilinear form; (3) In a multivariable model, violence was significantly associated with substance abuse comorbidity, particular psychotic symptoms (perceived threat and loss of internal cognitive controls), and absence of recent contact with a community mental health provider; (4) The relationship between lack of treatment and higher odds of violence was less pronounced among respondents with substance abuse comorbidity; (5) When clinical and services-use variables were taken into account, sociodemographic predictors were not significantly related to violence.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 4keywords = mental disorder (Clic here for more details about this article) |