psychedelics and er visits | Research from Saint Louis University School of Medicine is offering insights into the impact of the decriminalization of psychedelics. Analyzing national hospital admission data from 2016 to 2023, the study found no evidence of widespread harm following policy changes, and hallucinogen incidents remain rare, accounting for 0.6-1.2% of substance-related hospital visits. Alcohol and opioid cases are far more common. “These findings add important context to other studies showing rises in hallucinogen use,” says Richard Grucza, Ph.D., professor of family and community medicine and health outcomes research. “Those increases don’t seem to be contributing to rising ER visits, and if anything, alcohol and other drugs seem to be driving adverse consequences of psychedelic use.”
treating depression
Major depression impacts around 20% of adults in the U.S, and among that population, about one-third of patients have treatment-resistant depression, making standard antidepressant medication or psychotherapy ineffective. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine have found that a small, implanted device could provide substantial relief. The device stimulates the vagus nerve and was found to produce improvements in depressive symptoms, quality of life and other measures for at least two years in the vast majority of patients.“There is a dire need to find effective treatments for these patients, who often have no other options,” says lead author Dr. Charles Conway. “With this kind of chronic, disabling illness, even a partial response to treatment is life-altering, and with vagus nerve stimulation we’re seeing that benefit is lasting.”
technology forward
Mercy has been named one of the nation’s most technologically advanced health care organizations. For the 22nd year in a row, it has earned Level 9 honors in the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) Digital Health Most Wired survey. The annual survey assesses the adoption, integration and impact of technologies in health care organizations. Mercy ranked high in areas like cybersecurity, patient engagement, and analytics and data management. “Mercy’s commitment to digital excellence makes a profound impact on the health and experience of the patients we serve,” says Scott Richert, Mercy chief information officer. “We’ve seen how many of these new technologies improve care for our patients and help our caregivers spend more time at the bedside.”
breath & the gut microbiome
Our breath may offer important insights into the health of our gut microbiome. Currently, there are no quick diagnostic tools to identify issues within the gut microbiome. Research from Washington University School of Medicine has found that disease-associated bacteria can be detected through exhaled breath. Looking at mice and children, the team found that breath can reveal the composition of bacteria living in the intestines. “Rapid assessment of the gut microbiome’s health could significantly enhance clinical care, especially for young children,” senior author Dr. Andrew L. Kau, Ph.D., says. “Early detection could lead to prompt interventions for conditions like allergies and serious bacterial infections in preterm infants. This study lays the groundwork for developing such crucial diagnostic tools.”