Articles related to Surgery, Neurologic

To date, no Cdk5 inhibitor has been approved to treat any neuropsychiatric or degenerative diseases due to challenges at the blood-brain barrier. James Bibb, Ph.D., and colleagues seek to change that notion with their brain-permeable compound, 25-106.

In an editorial published in KevinMD.com, a neurosurgeon discusses the myriad reasons she chooses to stay in clinical practice when many of her colleagues are leaving. The reasons range from job satisfaction from treating patients to family and financial considerations.

Improvements in brain imaging and a deeper understanding of the natural history of acute cerebral ischemia are erasing the concept of “transient ischemic attack” (TIA). The better imaging is revealing that symptomatic ischemic attacks – even those with quite transient signs and symptoms – leave residual damage to the brain.

The CDC has released updated guidelines for prescribing opioids. The newest guidelines focus on patient-centered decisions and reduce some limitations on prescribing that were put in place back in 2016. The updated guidance recognizes the ongoing increase in opioid-related deaths, but seeks to give physicians and patients more direction in managing individual therapy.

The plaintiff, an emergency medicine physician, filed the lawsuit for wrongful termination against EmCare’s Kansas and Missouri subsidiaries, alleging that he was terminated because he complained about dangerous and illegal understaffing at the Overland Park emergency department. On March 2, 2021, the Missouri Supreme Court declined to intervene in the case, finalizing the judgment in the plaintiff’s favor.

That’s the question in this highly unusual case, in which the plaintiff made an emergency motion for a mistrial, arguing that the jury witnessing the defendant coming to the aid of one of their fellow jurors may have prejudiced the jury. Read this fascinating story from MPR and ask yourself whether the situation had influenced the verdict in any way or resulted in a denial of a fair trial.