Exploration of a Biblical Counseling Program for Depression.

Millions of Americans experience sadness, fatigue, and sleeping difficulty. These symptoms are consistent with a diagnosis of depression, which the American Psychiatric Association (APA) categorizes as a serious medical illness. Treatments include pharmacotherapy and/or counseling, with varying outcomes.

Biblical Counseling: An Alternative for Treating Depressive Symptoms.

Despite use of current standards of care-antidepressant medications and psychotherapy-to treat depressive symptoms, results experienced by patients and reported in the literature have been inconsistent. Religiously integrated cognitive behavioral therapy (RCBT) is an evidence-based alternative to cognitive behavioral therapy. A type of RCBT, biblical counseling is a viable option for patients experiencing depressive symptoms.

Smart marketing may improve public understanding of the anesthesia profession.

Background: A 2005 survey led by the Israeli Society of Anesthesiologists (ISA) found that large parts of the Israeli public are not familiar with the profession of anesthesia. The ISA has subsequently been conducting a public campaign for several years with the aim to enhance community knowledge regarding the anesthesiologists' training and their critical role in the perioperative period.

Objective: The present study sought to evaluate the value of a campaign aiming to enhance public understanding of the importance of a medical profession; more specifically, a campaign to promote awareness of the community regarding the anesthesia profession.

Higher postoperative pain and increased morphine consumption follow pre- rather than post-incisional single dose epidural morphine.

Background: Neuraxial administration of morphine is an effective way of controlling postoperative pain and reducing analgesic consumption. Some animal models have demonstrated that preemptive administration of neuraxial narcotics reduces pain, while others have revealed the contrary. In addition, there have been no consistent results in clinical settings.

Prophylactic fluconazole does not improve outcome in patients with purulent and fecal peritonitis due to lower gastrointestinal perforation.

The benefit of anticandida treatment in addition to standard antibiotic therapy in the presence of perforation/leakage of the lower gastrointestinal tract (LGIT) is still controversial. We retrospectively assessed the clinical effects of empiric anticandida treatment in patients with LGIT perforation who had undergone exploratory laparotomy due to perforated/leaking bowel or appendix between 1999 and 2004, including generalized fecal/purulent peritonitis. Two groups of patients emerged: those receiving empiric anticandida treatment (fluconazole, n = 24) and those who did not (n = 77).