Medical Bulletin 28/October/2023

Here are the top medical news of the day:

Does Landiolol improve outcomes in Septic Shock? Insights from JAMA study

A new study published in JAMA has found that the beta-blocker landiolol does not improve outcomes in patients with septic shock. The study was stopped early due to a signal of possible harm, with mortality rates higher in the landiolol group than in the standard care group.

The study involved 126 patients with septic shock who were randomized to receive either landiolol infusion or standard care. The primary outcome was the mean Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score from randomization through 14 days. Secondary outcomes included mortality at days 28 and 90 and the number of adverse events in each group.

Reference: Whitehouse T, Hossain A, Perkins GD, et al. Landiolol and Organ Failure in Patients With Septic Shock: The STRESS-L Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. Published online October 25, 2023. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.20134

Link between screen time and autism/ADHD risks: What do the experts say?

A team led by Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan has investigated screen time in autistic (ASD) and ADHD children. Screen time refers to the amount of time a person spends on a device with a screen, such as a smartphone, computer, television, or video game system. The researchers found that children with a genetic predisposition to ASD were more likely to use screens for longer periods. Meanwhile, children with ADHD gradually increased their screen time as they grew older, even if their initial screen use time was short.

People are increasingly spending their time looking at the screens of their digital devices. This is especially true for children with neurodevelopmental disorders who tend to use screens for longer periods

Reference: Psychiatry Research, DOI 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115395

Do traumatic childhood events increase risk of headaches in adulthood? Study sheds light

A new study published in the journal Neurology suggests that people who experienced traumatic events in childhood, such as abuse, neglect, or household dysfunction, may be more likely to experience headache disorders as adults.

The study, a meta-analysis of 28 studies involving over 150,000 participants, found that people who had experienced one or more traumatic childhood events were 48% more likely to have headache disorders than those who had not experienced such events. The risk of headaches increased with the number of traumatic childhood events experienced.

Reference: Journal Neurology