The Prevalence of Postpartum Depression in Black and Hispanic Women in New Jersey

Postpartum depression (PPD) is defined as symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD) within one month of giving birth with the prevalence in the United States being 10-15%. There are well documented instances of racial differences and their effects on maternal outcomes including infant, maternal mortality and postpartum mood disorders. In New Jersey, there are monitoring systems that explore the relationships between maternal characteristics such as race, age, education level, insurance status, and racial bias and how they may correlate with higher incidences of Postpartum Depression (PPD) in these communities of women. The purpose of this comparative study is to analyze the prevalence of postpartum depression among Black and Hispanic mothers in the state of New Jersey

Long-Term Lithium Use in the Younger Population: Do the Benefits Outweigh the Risks? - A Case Report

For decades lithium has been the mainstay treatment for bipolar disorder. While its side effect profile is extensive and varied its most notable adverse effect, and one most feared by treating clinicians, is nephrotoxicity/ end-stage renal disease (ESRD). While the link between long-term lithium use and ESRD has been accepted by the medical community at large for many years, more recent scientific studies call the association into question. In fact, newer studies on the association between Li use and ESRD have shown a negative/inconclusive correlation. Despite this controversy the consensus still remains that ESRD secondary to long-term Li use is mostly found in the elderly population with decades of Li use. In this case, we present and discuss the case of a patient that appears to be an outlier to this trend: a young African-American patient who developed ESRD in her teens after only being on lithium for half a decade

The Virtues of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatments in Patients with Opioid Use Disorder

As America continues to face the opioid epidemic, numerous people have made great strides in receiving formal treatment for their opioid use disorder (OUD). This research seeks to examine the effects providing OMT along with traditional OUD pharmacological methods in providing results for patients. By utilizing prior research on OMT techniques, we were able to uncover how effective OMT can be in reducing the time and discomfort associated with seeking opioid recovery. OMT in combination with traditional pharmacology was associated with reduction of somatic pain, higher success with MAT, as well as lowered costs. This research also highlights the importance of OMT in the era of COVID social distancing, as well as special considerations to be taken for those with trauma histories associated with their disorder. We argue the benefit of OMT in combination with pharmacological methods at reducing the overall burden of prior opioid use disorders

Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy and Catatonia: An Acute Stress Connection?

BACKGROUND •Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM): •transient left ventricular dysfunction •ECG changes and symptoms mimicking acute MI •often precipitated by emotional stressor •Catatonia is a psychomotor syndrome most commonly seen in mood disorders •This is the first known reported case of TCM co-occurring with catatonia in the setting of acute psychological trauma and bereavemen