Current concepts in psychodermatology.

Dermatology is a discipline in which psychosomatic issues serve a key purpose in helping us understand the etiology and progression of skin diseases and determining appropriate treatment protocols. Emotional factors appear to significantly influence most skin diseases, and the correlation between stressful life events and disease flares is well recognized in dermatology. In this article, recent research is highlighted for major cutaneous disease states, as well as psychiatric disorders with symptoms that present as skin disorders.

The comparative hemodynamic effects of methohexital and remifentanil in electroconvulsive therapy.

Remifentanil is a short acting opioid frequently used to supplement general anesthesia for brief procedures. Narcotic agents are known for their ability to blunt autonomic responses to stimuli such as laryngoscopy and intubation and do not alter seizure threshold. We hypothesized that the combination of remifentanil and methohexital for induction would produce favorable suppression of sympathetic response during electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).