Medical Bulletin 1/December/2022

Since 1999, more than 932,000 people have died from a drug overdose. In 2020, 91,799 drug overdose deaths occurred. The rate of overdose deaths has increased by 31% from 2019 to 2020.

Virtual overdose monitoring is a concept that has the potential to reduce the risk of death from opioids and other substances by offering timely and anonymous access to emergency care. This study is published in Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Reference:

Virtual overdose monitoring may help reduce opioid deaths; CANADIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION JOURNAL, DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.220579.

Mom's dietary fat rewires male and female brains differently

According to statistics, it is said that more than half of all women are overweight or obese when they become pregnant. While being or becoming overweight during pregnancy can have potential health risks for moms, there are also hints that it may tip the scales for their kids to develop psychiatric disorders like autism or depression, which often affects one gender more than the other.

In findings in the journal Nature Metabolism, the researchers have found that mom's high-fat diet triggers immune cells in the developing brains of males to overconsume the mood-influencing brain chemical serotonin, leading to depressed-like behavior.

Reference:

Mom's dietary fat rewires male and female brains differently; Nature Metabolism, DOI:10.1038/s42255-022-00693-8.

Medical masks comparable to N95 respirators for preventing COVID-19?

A study of more than 1,000 health care workers was unable to establish whether medical masks are significantly less effective at preventing COVID-19 infection than N95 respirators in hospital settings. The findings varied across countries, which were studied during different times in the pandemic. The study is published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Either medical masks or N95 respirators are recommended by the World Health Organization for routine care, whereas only N95 respirators are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the routine care of patients with COVID-19. It is uncertain if medical masks offer similar protection against COVID-19 compared with N95 respirators.

Reference:

In some settings, medical masks may offer similar effectiveness to N95 respirators for preventing COVID-19 infection among health care workers; Annals of Internal Medicine, DOI: 10.7326/M22-1966