Compulsory admissions of patients with mental disorders: State of the art on ethical and legislative aspects in 40 European countries.

BACKGROUND: Compulsory admission procedures of patients with mental disorders vary between countries in Europe. The Ethics Committee of the European Psychiatric Association (EPA) launched a survey on involuntary admission procedures of patients with mental disorders in 40 countries to gather information from all National Psychiatric Associations that are members of the EPA to develop recommendations for improving involuntary admission processes and promote voluntary care. METHODS: The survey focused on legislation of involuntary admissions and key actors involved in the admission procedure as well as most common reasons for involuntary admissions. RESULTS: We analyzed the survey categorical data in themes, which highlight that both medical and legal actors are involved in involuntary admission procedures. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that legal reasons for compulsory admission should be reworded in order to remove stigmatization of the patient, that raising awareness about involuntary admission procedures and patient rights with both patients and family advocacy groups is paramount, that communication about procedures should be widely available in lay-language for the general population, and that training sessions and guidance should be available for legal and medical practitioners. Finally, people working in the field need to be constantly aware about the ethical challenges surrounding compulsory admissions.

Peripheral vascular changes in the lower limbs following cocaine abuse.

Background: Worldwide, substance use disorder is on the rise, especially amongst the young generation. Although cocaine-induced cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events are well documented, knowledge about the relationship of cocaine use and its effect on arterial perfusion in the lower limbs is scarce.Objective: This study sought to investigate the relationship between cocaine use and peripheral arterial disease.Methods: The study population comprised 30 subjects' dependent on cocaine, smoking and alcohol [Group A] and another 30 subjects dependent on smoking and alcohol only [Group B]. A comprehensive lower limb vascular assessment was conducted utilizing pulse palpation, Doppler spectral waveform analysis, Ankle brachial pressure index (ABPI) and Toe brachial pressure index (TBPI) to determine the arterial perfusion status in the lower limbs.Results: Group A had lower ABPIs and TBPIs than Group B suggesting poorer vascular perfusion in lower limbs. Furthermore, a larger percentage of Group A had monophasic/continuous waveforms of all three pedal pulses compared to Group B. Conversely there was a higher percentage in Group B with biphasic/triphasic waveforms compared to Group A implying better vascular perfusion.Conclusion: In this study, cocaine use was associated with diminished arterial perfusion of the lower limbs suggesting that cocaine use has the potential to increase the risk of peripheral arterial disease. Regular vascular foot screening is warranted if foot complications are to be avoided.

Incidence, characteristics and course of narrow phenotype paediatric bipolar I disorder in the British Isles.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the surveillance incidence of first-time diagnosis of narrow phenotype bipolar I disorder (NPBDI) in young people under 16 years by consultants in child and adolescent psychiatry (CCAP) in the British Isles and describe symptoms, comorbidity, associated factors, management strategies and clinical outcomes at 1-year follow-up. METHOD: Active prospective surveillance epidemiology was utilised to ask 730 CCAP to report cases of NPBDI using the child and adolescent psychiatry surveillance system. RESULTS: Of the 151 cases of NPBDI reported, 33 (age range 10-15.11 years) met the DSM-IV analytical case definition with 60% having had previously undiagnosed mood episodes. The minimum 12-month incidence of NPBDI in the British Isles was 0.59/100 000 (95% CI 0.41-0.84). Irritability was reported in 72% cases and comorbid conditions in 51.5% cases with 48.5% cases requiring admission to hospital. Relapses occurred in 56.67% cases during the 1-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: These rates suggest that the first-time diagnosis of NPBDI in young people <16 years of age by CCAP in the British Isles is infrequent; however, the rates of relapse and admission to hospital warrant close monitoring.

The forces acting on the human calcaneus.

The forces acting on the human calcaneus are analysed for a static standing posture. An optimization procedure is invoked to solve the statically indeterminate set of forces which could arise from muscles, ligaments and reactions between the calcaneus and other bones and also the ground. Two alternative objective functions are investigated; that which returns no active muscle force is considered the more realistic, since electromyographic studies show that in static standing only minor muscle activity occurs to counteract body sway. This set of forces is then applied to the bone for finite element stress analysis to produce stress trajectories, which are then validated against both the trabecular configuration of the cancellous bone of the calcaneus and also the distribution of the orientations of the hydroxyapatite crystal major and minor axes.