Summary

[Posted 26/May/2023]

AUDIENCE: Psychiatry, Family Medicine

KEY FINDINGS: This study found that memantine treatment resulted in statistically significant reductions in hair pulling and skin-picking symptoms compared with placebo, with relatively high efficacy (based on number needed to treat), and was well tolerated. The glutamate system may prove to be a beneficial target in the treatment of compulsive behaviors.

BACKGROUND: Trichotillomania and skin-picking disorder are underrecognized and often disabling conditions in which individuals repeatedly pull at their hair or pick at their skin, leading to noticeable hair loss or tissue damage. To date there is a severe paucity of evidence-based treatments for these conditions. In this study, the authors sought to determine whether memantine, a glutamate modulator, is more effective than placebo in reducing hair-pulling and skin-picking behavior.

DETAILS: One hundred adults with trichotillomania or skin-picking disorder (86 women; mean age, 31.4 years [SD=10.2]) were enrolled in a double-blind trial of memantine (dosing range, 10-20 mg/day) or placebo for 8 weeks. Participants were assessed with measures of pulling and picking severity. Outcomes were examined using a linear mixed-effects model. The prespecified primary outcome measure was treatment-related change on the NIMH Trichotillomania Symptom Severity Scale, modified to include skin picking. Compared with placebo, memantine treatment was associated with significant improvements in scores on the NIMH scale, Sheehan Disability Scale, and Clinical Global Impressions severity scale in terms of treatment-by-time interactions. At study endpoint, 60.5% of participants in the memantine group were "much or very much improved," compared with 8.3% in the placebo group (number needed to treat=1.9). Adverse events did not differ significantly between the treatment arms.

Copyright © American Psychiatric Association. All rights reserved.

Source: Grant, J. E., Chesivoir, E., Valle, S., et al. (2023). Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study of Memantine in Trichotillomania and Skin-Picking Disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 2023; 180(5): 348-356. Published: May, 2023. DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.20220737.

Summary

A Randomized Controlled Comparative Study

[Posted 19/May/2026]

AUDIENCE: General Surgery, Family Medicine

KEY FINDINGS: Early active treatment with isotretinoin and FMRF is safe and better than isotretinoin monotherapy over 44 weeks regarding severity, reduced erythema, and improved surface roughness in moderate-to-severe acne vulgaris. This encourages early and effective treatment of acne to mitigate acne scarring and improve patients' quality of life.

BACKGROUND: Oral isotretinoin is the standard therapy for severe acne. However, scarring may persist. Fractional microneedling radiofrequency (FMRF) improves both inflammatory lesions and scars with minimal downtime. In this study, we compare isotretinoin monotherapy and concurrent isotretinoin and FMRF for active acne regarding clinical outcomes. The GAGS scores of isotretinoin and FMRF were significantly lower than those of isotretinoin monotherapy from weeks 12-44 (-79.69% vs. -60.34% at week 44, respectively; p < 0.001). Isotretinoin and FMRF showed significantly greater lesion count reductions than isotretinoin monotherapy at follow-up visits from weeks 12-44. Isotretinoin and FMRF showed significantly lower hemoglobin levels than isotretinoin monotherapy at weeks 32 and 44 (p = 0.029 and p < 0.001, respectively). Skin surface roughness improved substantially and persistently from week 12-44.

DETAILS: In this parallel two-group comparative study, patients received either low-dose isotretinoin monotherapy for 20 weeks (n = 34) or low-dose isotretinoin concurrently with 5 monthly FMRF sessions (n = 36). Outcomes were assessed at baseline and weeks 12, 20, 24, 32, and 44. The primary endpoints were Global Acne Grading System (GAGS) scores and inflammatory/non-inflammatory lesion counts. Secondary endpoints were hemoglobin indices and skin roughness.

Copyright © Wiley Periodicals LLC. All rights reserved

Source: Disphanurat, W., Leeyangyuen, P,, and Srisantithum, B. Efficacy of Low-Dose Oral Isotretinoin Combined With Fractional Microneedle Radiofrequency Versus Low-Dose Oral Isotretinoin Monotherapy in the Treatment of Moderate-To-Severe Acne Vulgaris: A Randomized Controlled Comparative Study. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine. 2026; 58(4): 321-330. Published: April, 2026. DOI: 10.1002/lsm.70120.

Summary

[Posted 11/May/2026]

AUDIENCE: All Healthcare Professionals

KEY FINDINGS:

• Hantaviruses are a family of viruses that cause serious illness and sometimes death in people worldwide.
• The viruses are spread by infected rodents through their urine, feces, and saliva.
• Some hantaviruses cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS).
• Early symptoms of HPS in people resemble many other respiratory illnesses, making HPS difficult to diagnose at illness onset.
• Healthcare providers should test a person for hantavirus if they have HPS-compatible symptoms and have had contact with rodents.

BACKGROUND: Hantaviruses are spread by rodents' body fluids and excrement. People mostly contract hantavirus by breathing in the virus. Most hantaviruses found in North, Central, and South America can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). Andes virus, which is found in South America, has reportedly had person-to-person transmission.

DETAILS: Different hantaviruses are found in the United States. Most of these cause HPS, which primarily affects the lungs. Non-HPS hantavirus infection can also occur, where patients experience non-specific viral symptoms, but no cardiopulmonary symptoms. The hantaviruses that are found throughout the United States are not known to spread between people.

HPS initially causes flu-like symptoms that can progress to more severe illness where people have trouble breathing. It's important for people with HPS to begin treatment as early as possible to improve their chances of recovery. HPS is fatal in nearly 4 in 10 people who are infected.

Exposure risks

Anyone who has contact with hantavirus-carrying rodents, or their droppings, urine, saliva or nesting material is at risk of HPS. Rodent infestation in and around the home remains the primary risk for hantavirus exposure. Even healthy individuals are at risk for HPS infection if they have contact with the virus.

Andes virus can cause HPS and is the only type of hantavirus that is known to spread person-to-person.

How it spreads

Each hantavirus has one primary rodent that carries the disease. The most common hantavirus that causes HPS in the U.S. is spread by the deer mouse.

People can contract hantavirus if they have contact with urine, feces or saliva of a rodent carrying the virus. This can occur when people:

1. Breathe in hantavirus-contaminated air when cleaning up after rodents.
2. Touch contaminated objects and then touch their nose or mouth.
3. Are bitten or scratched by an infected rodent.
4. Eat food contaminated with hantavirus.

Cases normally occur in rural areas where forests, fields, and farms offer habitats for rodents. The animals can get into homes and barns, where they may leave urine or feces.

Dogs and cats are not known to become infected with hantavirus in the United States. Pets may bring infected rodents to people or into homes.

Testing and diagnosis

Assessing patients for hantavirus can be difficult early in the infection because symptoms are non-specific and resemble many other viral infections like influenza, legionnaire's, leptospirosis, mycoplasma, and Q fever. Because hantavirus resembles these infections, a blood test is often the only way to officially diagnose it.

To diagnose hantavirus or HPS, clinicians should understand:

• Disease symptoms and rodent exposure history
• Testing guidelines to identify the virus
• How to request testing support from CDC if needed, and
• How to report cases to CDC

Clinicians with a patient experiencing symptoms compatible with HPS and a potential rodent exposure should contact their state, tribal, local, or territorial health department.

Testing

CDC uses an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect IgM antibodies and diagnose acute infections with hantaviruses. This diagnostic method is used to diagnose both HPS and HFRS. Diagnostic testing can be performed at:

1. CDC
2. State labs running the CDC-developed assay
3. State public health labs using other diagnostic assays
4. Commercial labs

The criteria to report hantavirus-positive cases are based on the national case definition, which includes clinical symptoms (HPS or non-HPS) and acute laboratory diagnostic results, such as:

1. IgM positive
2. IgG positive with rising titers
3. Immunohistochemistry positive, or
4. PCR positive

Treatment and recovery

There is no specific treatment for hantavirus infection. If HPS is suspected, the patient needs emergency medical care immediately, preferably in the intensive care unit, even before diagnosis.

Early intensive medical care is critical because patients who have sudden acute disease can rapidly become severely sick and die. If a patient is experiencing full distress, it is less likely the treatment will be effective.

Patient management should include:

1. Monitoring and adjustment of cardiac function
2. Carefully administering fluids
3. Providing supplemental oxygen
4. Intubating and ventilating if needed

Suspected HPS patients should receive appropriate broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy, even if you're still waiting for diagnosis. Care should also include fever reducers and pain relievers.

While HPS can be quite severe, it has a short duration of critical disease. The cardiopulmonary dysfunction seen in HPS is most likely due to circulating inflammatory mediators. Autopsies performed on fatal cases did not show significant tissue damage.

Initiating extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) at the earliest sign of decompensation has an 80 percent survival rate in patients despite cardiopulmonary collapse.

Within 24 hours of initial evaluation, most HPS patients develop some degree of hypotension. They also experience progressive evidence of pulmonary edema and hypoxia, usually requiring mechanical ventilation.

Patients with fatal infections often appear to have severe myocardial depression that progresses to sinus bradycardia with subsequent electromechanical dissociation, ventricular tachycardia, or fibrillation.

In patients with HPS, poor prognostic indicators include a plasma lactate of greater than 4.0 mmol/L or a cardiac index of less than 2.2 L/min/m2.

Pulmonary edema and pleural effusions are common, but multiorgan dysfunction syndrome is rarely seen. However, HPS patients sometimes have mildly impaired renal function. Survivors frequently become polyuric during convalescence and improve rapidly.

Intravenous ribavirin, a guanosine analogue, has been tested in patients with HPS. However, it was not shown to be effective for treatment of HPS.

Without adequate treatment, most deaths occur in patients with HPS within 24 to 48 hours of the cardiopulmonary phase onset.

Related diseases

Some hantaviruses cause kidney symptoms more than lung damage. When this occurs, it is called hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).

Source: Clinician Brief: Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS). CDC. Published: May 8, 2026.

Summary

[Posted 8/May/2026]

AUDIENCE: Infectious Disease, Family Medicine

KEY FINDINGS: In two open-label trials, nirmatrelvir-ritonavir did not reduce the incidence of hospitalization or death among vaccinated higher-risk participants with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

BACKGROUND: Nirmatrelvir-ritonavir has been shown to reduce progression to severe illness from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in unvaccinated high-risk outpatients. The effectiveness of nirmatrelvir-ritonavir in persons who have been vaccinated, infected naturally, or both is unclear.

DETAILS: In two open-label platform trials (PANORAMIC in the United Kingdom and CanTreatCOVID in Canada), we enrolled higher-risk adults (>=50 years of age or >=18 years of age with coexisting conditions) in the community who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and had been unwell for 5 days or less. The participants were randomly assigned to receive usual care plus nirmatrelvir (300 mg)-ritonavir (100 mg) twice a day for 5 days or to receive usual care alone. The primary outcome was hospitalization or death from any cause within 28 days after randomization. From December 8, 2021, to September 30, 2024, a total of 3516 participants in the PANORAMIC trial and 716 participants in the CanTreatCOVID trial underwent randomization. In the PANORAMIC trial, 14 of 1698 participants (0.8%) in the nirmatrelvir-ritonavir group and 11 of 1673 participants (0.7%) in the usual-care group were hospitalized or died (adjusted odds ratio, 1.18; 95% Bayesian credible interval, 0.55 to 2.62; probability of superiority, 0.334). In the CanTreatCOVID trial, 2 of 343 participants (0.6%) in the nirmatrelvir-ritonavir group and 4 of 324 participants (1.2%) in the usual-care group were hospitalized or died (adjusted odds ratio, 0.48; 95% Bayesian credible interval, 0.08 to 2.23; probability of superiority, 0.830). In a substudy involving 634 participants, viral load was reduced by the end of treatment with nirmatrelvir-ritonavir. Serious adverse events with nirmatrelvir-ritonavir were reported in 9 participants in the PANORAMIC trial and in 4 participants in the CanTreatCOVID trial.

Copyright © Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved.

Source: Butler, C. C., Pinto, A. D., Harris, V., et al. Oral Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir for Covid-19 in Higher-Risk Outpatients. N Engl J Med. 2026; 394(16): 1583-1594. Published: April 22, 2026. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2502457

Summary

[Posted 6/May/2026]

AUDIENCE: Neurology, Psychiatry

KEY FINDINGS: The FDA approval of Auvelity for agitation in Alzheimer’s dementia represents a clinically meaningful advancement, introducing the first non-antipsychotic pharmacologic option for this challenging condition. Supported by randomized clinical trials demonstrating both symptomatic improvement and relapse prevention, Auvelity offers a promising alternative for managing agitation while potentially avoiding risks associated with antipsychotics. Careful patient selection and monitoring remain essential given its safety profile.

BACKGROUND: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved an expanded use for Auvelity (dextromethorphan hydrobromide and bupropion hydrochloride) extended-release tablets to treat agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease in adults. The drug is the first FDA-approved treatment for this condition that is not an antipsychotic. FDA initially approved Auvelity in 2022 to treat major depressive disorder in adults.

DETAILS: "This approval represents a significant advancement in our ability to help patients and families dealing with one of the most challenging aspects of Alzheimer's disease," said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H. "With today's action, patients and their families have access to an additional important treatment for complications of this devastating disease."

Agitation is a common and distressing symptom in patients with Alzheimer's disease dementia, characterized by excessive motor activity, or verbal or physical aggression. It can significantly impact quality of life for patients and caregivers.

"Auvelity was found to be efficacious for treating agitation in Alzheimer's disease in two randomized trials and now represents an additional option to address one of the most difficult sequelae of the disease, especially as it progresses,” said Tracy Beth Hoeg, M.D., Ph.D., Acting Director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "We hope this approval will provide meaningful benefit to patients, their families, and caregivers."

The first randomized study (NCT 03226522) was a five-week trial in which participants received either Auvelity or a placebo. The primary endpoint was the change from baseline to week five in the total score of the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI), a survey that assesses the frequency of manifestations of agitated behaviors in elderly patients, based on caregiver reports. Auvelity was significantly superior to placebo in The Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory score improvements.

The second randomized study (NCT 04947553) was a withdrawal study in participants who responded to Auvelity. Upon reaching a sustained clinical response to Auvelity, patients were randomly assigned to continue treatment with Auvelity or switch to placebo. The primary endpoint was time to relapse. Participants who continued Auvelity treatment had a significantly longer time to relapse of agitation symptoms compared to patients receiving the placebo.

The most common side effects include dizziness, upset stomach, headache, diarrhea, drowsiness, dry mouth, sexual dysfunction, and uncontrolled sweating. Auvelity has a Boxed Warning about increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in adolescents and young adults taking antidepressants. Health care providers should monitor patients for clinical worsening and emergence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, especially during initial treatment. The medicine can cause seizures, with risk increasing with dose. It can also cause elevated blood pressure and hypertension, and may activate mania or hypomania (irritable mood) in susceptible patients.

Before starting Auvelity, health care providers should assess blood pressure, screen for personal or family history of bipolar disorder, and determine if patients are taking other medications containing bupropion or dextromethorphan.

The FDA granted breakthrough therapy designation and priority review designation for this action. The approval of Auvelity for agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease was granted to Axsome Therapeutics.

Source: FDA Approves First Non-Antipsychotic Drug to Treat Agitation Associated with Dementia. FDA. Published: April 30, 2026.

Summary

[Posted 24/Apr/2026]

AUDIENCE: Hospice & Palliative Nursing, Oncology

KEY FINDINGS: This cohort study suggests that health care professionals may use advanced disease diagnosis or patient-reported symptom scores to trigger timely specialist palliative care referrals, which may reduce suffering and improve experiences at end of life for adolescent and young adult patients with cancer.

BACKGROUND: Adolescents and young adults are a unique cancer population that require tailored cancer care. Although literature suggests insufficient palliative care for these individuals, the utilization and context surrounding medical assistance in dying (MAID) in adolescent and young adult patients with cancer is unexplored. Purpose of this study is to describe MAID utilization and experiences among adolescent and young adult patients with cancer.

DETAILS: This mixed-methods, retrospective cohort study included all patients in Alberta, Canada, diagnosed with a first primary cancer between age 15 and 39 years who received MAID for cancer before age 45 years from 2016 to 2022. The analysis was performed from May 2024 to February 2026. Descriptive statistics summarized patient, cancer, supportive care, and MAID characteristics. Symptom complexity and burden in the year before death, using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System-revised (ESAS-r) were modelled. Qualitative thematic analysis of long-hand medical charting of health care professionals was conducted to understand the context leading to MAID. Integration of quantitative and qualitative findings was undertaken using a joint display. Overall, 34 adolescent and young adult patients (median [range] age, 33.44 [15.79-39.10] years) with cancer received MAID, with provisions peaking in 2020. Eighteen were female individuals (52.9%), 31 (91.2%) lived in an urban zone, 10 (29.4%) had children, and more than half received at least 3 types of cancer treatment. The median (range) time from advanced cancer diagnosis to provision was 1.1 (0.1-14.5) years, yet half of individuals received specialist palliative care less than 3 months prior to death. Symptom burden significantly increased over the year before death for all domains, with rapid rises visually observed beginning around month 5 prior to MAID. Overall, 10 of 14 (71.4%) reported high symptom complexity in the last month of life, with symptom scores highest for tiredness, poor well-being, pain, and drowsiness. Twenty-four of 30 (80%) reported a loss of ability to engage in activities making life meaningful at MAID provision. Qualitative themes offered context into the patient experience and included social isolation, previous experience with cancer death, wanting control, and achieving death acceptance. Finally, the joint display showed points of convergence between quantitative and qualitative results.

Copyright © American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.

Source: Muth, E., Maseja, N., Harper, A., et al. Medical Assistance in Dying Use Among Adolescent and Young Adult Patients With Cancer. JAMA Oncology. Published: April 16, 2026. DOI: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2026.0700