Thiamine Prescribing and Wernicke's Encephalopathy Risk Factors in Patients With Alcohol Use Disorders at a Psychiatric Hospital.

Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is the leading cause of thiamine deficiency and can lead to Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE). WE has a higher prevalence of development in patients with AUD, and current recommendations emphasize parenteral administration of thiamine. Our objective was to characterize thiamine utilization in patients with AUD who were prescribed thiamine and evaluate if those who received oral thiamine had risk factors for the development of WE.

Ketamine for the Acute Management of Excited Delirium and Agitation in the Prehospital Setting.

Traditional first-line therapy in the prehospital setting for the acutely agitated patient includes an antipsychotic in combination with a benzodiazepine. Recently, interest has grown regarding the use of ketamine in the prehospital setting as an attempt to overcome the limitations of the traditional medications and provide a more safe and effective therapy. This review provides an overview of the pharmacology of ketamine, evaluates the literature regarding ketamine use for prehospital agitation, and proposes an algorithm that may be used within the prehospital setting.

Is combination therapy appropriate for hypothyroidism?

Levothyroxine is the first-line drug for treating hypothyroidism. This article reviews the literature on combination therapy using levothyroxine and liothyronine, and found that only one study produced beneficial outcomes; other studies reported increased adverse reactions among participants. Levothyroxine should remain the drug of choice for hypothyroidism.