Hema Madhuri Mekala, M.D., Simrat Kaur Sarai, M.D., Steven Lippmann, M.D. Introduction Suicide is the most common psychiatric emergency (1). Annually, 650,000 people in the United States receive treatment after attempting suicide (1). It is the seventh leading cause of death in this country. About 37,000 individuals commit suicide every year in the U.S. and […]
Simrat Kaur Sarai, M.D., Steven Lippmann, M.D. Over nine million Americans consume narcotics regularly; about two million of them evidence substance use disorders related to prescription opioid pain relievers (1,2). There were about 259 million prescriptions for opioid medications written during 2012, a four-fold increase since 1999 (3). Although the number of prescription opioids sold […]
Jacob M. Appel, M.D., J.D. The recent release of would-be Reagan assassin John Hinckley Jr. serves as a reminder that while for much of the country, the three decades starting in 1980 were the ‘Reagan Era,’ forensic psychiatry remains trapped in a ‘Hinckley Era.’ Hinckley pled not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI) and was acquitted on all charges. In the […]
Kendall Bache, M.D., Kanwarjeet Brar, M.D., Steven Lippmann, M.D. Catatonia has been a condition commonly associated with schizophrenia, but it exists in a number of other psychiatric disorders. Diagnostic criteria for catatonia involves at least three of these twelve findings: catalepsy, waxy flexibility, posturing, mutism, negativism, mannerism, stereotypy, grimacing, stupor, agitation, echolalia, and/or echopraxia. However, […]
Kavitha Srinivasan, M.D., Steven Lippmann, M.D. Alpha pyrrolidinopentiophenone (a-PVP) commonly known as “flakka” or “gravel” is fast emerging as a new and dangerous drug of abuse. Initially gaining prominence in Florida, it is now frequently abused throughout our country. It belongs to the class of synthetic cathinones, commonly marketed as bath salts, plant food, or […]
Manasa Enja, M.D., Suneela Cherlopalle, M.D., Melanie Lippmann, M.D., Steven Lippmann, M.D. Cocaine is a frequent drug of abuse and a common precipitant of health emergencies. Recently, cocaine has become an even more dangerous public health concern since being adulterated by the addition of levamisole. It is hard to detect levamisole when mixed with cocaine; the […]
Yulin Chu, D.N.P. Millions of years ago, walking on two legs became a key attribute to human development, which distinguished humans from other animals. Since then, we have attained many benefits from walking. Is walking also beneficial to human’s mood? Numerous evidences suggest that physical activity (PA)/walking is a protective factor against depression (Robertson, R., […]
Leo Sher, M.D. The ideal body weight is usually described as a weight that is assumed to be maximally healthful for an individual, based mostly on height but modified by factors such as gender, age, build, and degree of muscular development. Ideal body weight is a definition originally introduced by life-insurance companies to describe the […]
Leo Sher, M.D. Vitamin D, also called calciferol is a lipid soluble vitamin which exists in two major forms: vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol, which is largely ingested) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol, which is synthesized in human body). Both forms are inactive form which are converted into active form by two enzymatic hydroxylation reactions, first in liver […]
Leo Sher, M.D. Blood is a complex fluid which consists of plasma and of formed elements: red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The volume of blood in an average human adult is about 5 liters. Females generally have less blood volume than males. People who live at high altitudes, where the air contains […]
