Assaults against nurses, unfortunately, is nothing new. But the frequency of the violence is increasing.

This individual passed away after 12 days of self-imposed starvation and refusal of a feeding tube. His loved ones were “beyond scarred” by his experience. Is this death with dignity? How can caregivers best serve their patients in such situations?

In this meta-analysis including 340 patients across six clinical trials, ECT was more effective than ketamine in treating depression. There were no identified differences between the groups in terms of cognition, memory, or serious adverse events.

Over a 5-year period, patients who presented with basilar artery stroke between 6 to 24 hours after symptom onset were randomized to thrombectomy plus medical therapy or medical therapy alone. The thrombectomy group had a greater chance of survival and of achieving good functional status (using a modified Rankin scale) at 90 days, but suffered more procedural complications and cerebral hemorrhages.

Prior research has revealed a potential link between damage to specific parts of the brain and repetitive addictive behaviors. In this report, with findings published in Nature Medicine, the investigators found that lesions that disrupted smoking and alcohol addiction behaviors occurred in many different brain locations and were characterized by a specific pattern of brain connectivity.

In this multicenter study, adult patients with status epilepticus were randomized into levetiracetam (LEV) or fosphenytoin (FPHT) as a second-line treatment after diazepam. The authors conclude that LEV may be recommended as a second-line treatment for SE along with phenytoin/FPHT.