Topics: Antipsychotics | endocrinological side effects | Prolactin

Medication–induced hyperprolactinemia is more common than you might think and it can produce detrimental long-term health sequelae. Two endocrinologists -- Drs Fountas and Karavitakis – review the work-up and management of this common side effect.

Topics: Agitation | hospital culture | restraints | seclusion | Violence

How can we reduce the use of seclusions and restraints while keeping staff and patients safe? Dr. Knox gives us a detailed overview of these interventions and shares strategies to minimize their use, including by changing hospital cultures and norms.

Topics: contraception | Free Articles | hyperlipidemia | hypertension | hypothyroidism | medical conditions | Obesity | sexually transmitted diseases | urinary tract infections | UTI

We spend years learning how to treat psychiatric illnesses, so it can feel uncomfortable to treat nonpsychiatric conditions like urinary tract infections. But as medical providers, we want to optimize our patients’ health outcomes, especially since we are often the only clinicians they have easy access to. Here we review uncomplicated medical conditions that we frequently see among patients with chronic mental illnesses.

Topics: assessments | Emergency Department | psychiatric emergencies | treatment

Imagine if patients in mental health crises could go to a soothing environment with art, music, and snacks, and where they are seen and treated promptly. Dr. Nordstrom describes EmPATH units and tells us how they reduce hospital admissions and emergency room overcrowding.

Topics: Bipolar Disorder | birth defects | Lithium | perinatal | postpartum mood | Pregnancy | women

We know prenatal lithium exposure increases the risk of heart defects in newborns. By keeping lithium doses and blood levels under certain cut-off points, we can reduce this risk, according to this large meta-analysis.

Topics: Antidepressant | Cognitive Behavioral Therapy | Depression | Suicidality

Antidepressants reduce suicidality even among patients who remain depressed.

Topics: CME Post-Test