PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Andrei Cicotti

Publications and source records attributed to Andrei Cicotti.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

Restless legs syndrome induced by citalopram: a psychiatric emergency?

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this case report is to create awareness on restless legs syndrome (RLS) among clinicians working in emergency units. METHOD: We describe a case reporting important aggravation of RLS associated with citalopram, 60 mg/day, in a 48-year-old woman who was sent to the emergency unit by her general practitioner. Citalopram was replaced by bupropion, 150 mg/day, and sertraline, 50 mg/day. RESULTS: Three days later, symptoms of RLS started to diminish and, after 3 weeks, clinical symptoms had disappeared entirely. On 6-month follow-up, the patient did not manifest clinically significant RLS. Ignoring RLS could lead to a worsening of symptoms and could increase the risk for iatrogenic conditions. The prevalence of RLS in the general population is 3-9%; nevertheless, this syndrome is frequently underdiagnosed. CONCLUSION: This case report suggests that RLS could be considered as a possible "dopamine-dependent side effect" of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Bupropion could potentially "correct" dopaminergic dysfunction in RLS, and sertraline appears to be the SSRI that provides the least risk of RLS by blocking dopamine reuptake.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Violent behavior of patients admitted in emergency following drug suicidal attempt: a specific staff educational crisis intervention.

OBJECTIVE: In spite of much effort to create guidelines on the management of violent behavior (VB) in emergency departments, little is known about the impact of such guidelines on a real-life emergency environment. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of a staff educational crisis intervention (SECI) on the reduction of VB in patients admitted to emergency departments following drug suicidal attempt. METHOD: The impact of a SECI on VB of patient consulting the ER following a drug suicide attempt was assessed by comparing the occurrence of VB before (5 months) and after (5 months) the introduction of a SECI. RESULTS: A significant reduction in VB (from 17.32% to 7.14%) was found with the comparison of two 5-month periods: before (254 patients) and after (224 patients) the introduction of a SECI program (chi(2)=11.238; P=.0008). CONCLUSION: These preliminary data suggest the need for further prospective randomized studies aiming to prevent VB in emergency departments by developing specific SECI programs.

Crisis Intervention↗