Diploma in primary care psychiatry: Do primary care doctors need training in cannabis use disorder module?

BACKGROUND: Cannabis is one of the most used illicit substances in India but is under-recognized and under-represented in clinical settings of India, especially at primary care. Patients usually do not seek treatment primarily for cannabis use, but it is identified on pro-active questioning by doctors. The aim is to study the clinical profiles of patients with cannabis use disorders (CUD) at primary care and to derive learning points from collaborative consultations to devise an optional module for CUD primarily for primary care doctors (PCDs). METHODS: File review of general patients with cannabis use, identified by PCDs during collaborative video consultation module of Diploma in Primary Care Psychiatry, was performed, and their profile and management difficulties were assessed. RESULT: Twelve patients with a mean age of 31.25 ± 12.04 years were identified by PCDs over a year. All were males with psychosis being the most common comorbidity. None of the patients presented primarily for cannabis use disorder. CONCLUSION: Identifying cannabis use among patients visiting PCDs becomes all the more important as the use of cannabis is not usually revealed spontaneously unless specifically probed. This warrants establishing guidelines for CUD specifically for use of PCDs for identifying and managing CUD.

Regulation of GPCR-mediated smooth muscle contraction: implications for asthma and pulmonary hypertension.

Contractile G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have emerged as key regulators of smooth muscle contraction, both under healthy and diseased conditions. This brief review will discuss some key topics and novel insights regarding GPCR-mediated airway and vascular smooth muscle contraction as discussed at the 7th International Young Investigators' Symposium on Smooth Muscle (2011, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) and will in particular focus on processes driving Ca(2+)-mobilization and -sensitization.