A review and study of aspirin utilization for the primary prevention of cardiovascular events in a psychiatric population.

In April 2016, the US Preventive Service Task Force (USPSTF) updated the aspirin guidelines for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and colorectal cancer. This review assesses the importance of appropriate use of aspirin for the primary prevention of CVD and, specifically, how individuals with psychiatric disorders may benefit from such use. This study examined how current prescribing practices of aspirin in a state psychiatric hospital align with these new guidelines and how inappropriate prescribing may jeopardize patient safety.

Effects of Statins and Cholesterol on Patient Aggression: Is There a Connection?

: Psychiatric adverse effects, including aggression, have been reported with the use of statin medications; however, there is little data to support or refute the theory that statins or low serum cholesterol do in fact increase a patient's risk of aggression. : This study examined 1) statin use and increased aggression, measured by the requirement of either emergent psychiatric intervention referred to as "Code Green" (CG) or "Restraint and Seclusion" (RS) and 2) cholesterol level and increased aggression in psychiatric inpatients. : Patient charts from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2015 were reviewed.

Implications of infection and trends of antibiotic prescribing in hospitalized patients diagnosed with serious mental illness.

Hospital-acquired infections have been recognized as a significant factor in increased morbidity and mortality across our health system. Unique to infections associated with inpatient psychiatric hospitalization is the additional hypothesized association of the role that antipsychotic agents and/or underlying disease may play in an increased risk for infection. In this paper, we explore the types of infections diagnosed in an inpatient psychiatric hospital, the demographics of the patients infected, and whether or not the patient was on antipsychotic agents at the time of infection.

Nebulized Fentanyl for Dyspnea in a Hospice Patient with True Allergy to Morphine and Hydromorphone.

An 86-year-old white female was admitted to hospice care with lung cancer. Even with optimal medical management, she suffered from dyspnea and required opioid therapy. However, the patient had a true morphine and hydromorphone allergy.

Physician Prescribing Practices of Vitamin D in a Psychiatric Hospital.

Vitamin D supplementation has become an increasingly popular prescribing practice, despite our limited knowledge of both the definition and degree of deficiency as well as the expected benefits or risks of exogenous administration. Many of the hypothesized benefits of vitamin D supplementation include a variety of improvements in mental health; however, these claims are not consistently or robustly supported by current research. In this paper, we provide a brief overview of what is currently known about vitamin D deficiency and about outcomes of supplementation as well as a summary of the data relative to prescribing practices for inpatients in an urban psychiatric hospital.