(1) Background: Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) are emerging drugs of abuse sold as ‘K2’, ‘K9’ or ‘Spice’. Evidence shows that using SCs products leads to greater health risks than cannabis. They have been associated with greater toxicity and higher addiction potential unrelated to the primary psychoactive component of marijuana, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC). Moreover, early cases of intoxication and death related to SCs highlight the inherent danger that may accompany the use of these substances. However, there is limited knowledge of the toxicology of Spice ingredients. This systematic review intends to analyze the toxicity of SCs compounds in Spice/K2 drugs. (2) Methods: Studies analyzing synthetic cannabinoid toxicity and dependence were included in the present review. We searched the PubMed database of the US National Library of Medicine, Google Scholar, CompTox Chemicals, and Web of Science up to May 2022. (3) Results: Sixty-four articles reporting the effects of synthetic cannabinoids in humans were included in our review. Ten original papers and fifty-four case studies were also included. Fourteen studies reported death associated with synthetic cannabinoid use, with AB-CHMINACA and MDMB-CHMICA being the main reported SCs. Tachycardia and seizures were the most common toxicity symptoms. The prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms was higher in third-generation SCs. (4) Conclusion: SCs may exhibit higher toxicity than THC and longer-lasting effects. Their use may be harmful, especially in people with epilepsy and schizophrenia, because of the increased risk of the precipitation of psychiatric and neurologic disorders. Compared to other drugs, SCs have a higher potential to trigger a convulsive crisis, a decline in consciousness, and hemodynamic changes. Therefore, it is crucial to clarify their potential harms and increase the availability of toxicology data in both clinical and research settings.

Through new publications on the subject, the main goal of this article is to seek a change in the pattern of alcohol use before and after bariatric surgery. We searched the National Library of Medicine, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases. We included original articles regarding alcohol consumption before and after bariatric surgery to conduct the systematic review. Our systematic review, which included 18 articles, yielded mixed results. Meta-analysis of six articles did not reveal statistically significant differences in alcohol use behaviours before and one year after bariatric surgery. However, throughout the perspective of follow-up after bariatric surgery, nine out of the twelve articles showed improvement in the pattern of alcohol consumption when evaluated up to two years after the end of the surgical period, and four out of the five articles with monitoring beyond two years showed worsening in consumption, compared to pre-surgery alcohol use behaviours. Conclusions about the relationship between alcohol consumption and bariatric surgery are challenging primarily because of the variety of the methods used and the alcohol consumption measures. Despite that, our research pointed to an increased risk of alcohol use disorders two years after bariatric surgery.

Trends Psychiatry Psychother, vol.0, nAheadOfPrint, p.0-0, 2025

Background: Opioid use disorder (OUD) presents major challenges, especially when combined with chronic pain and psychiatric comorbidities. A 25‐year‐old woman with OUD, chronic pain, and major depressive disorder underwent an 8‐week protocol of intravenous ketamine infusions (0.5 mg/kg weekly) as an adjunct to opioid tapering. Results: Methadone dosage was reduced by 50%, with improved pain and craving control, reduced withdrawal symptoms, and greater psychotherapy engagement. Discussion and Conclusions: Ketamine‐assisted “bridge therapy” treatment may support opioid tapering in complex cases. Scientific Significance: This is a novel report to document a multifaceted improvement in this specific comorbidity cluster.

Introduction Pelvic anatomy remains a challenge, and thorough knowledge of its intricate landmarks has major clinical and surgical implications in several medical specialties. The peritoneal reflection is an important landmark in intraluminal surgery, rectal trauma, impalement, and rectal adenocarcinoma. Objectives To investigate the correlation between the lengths of the middle rectal valve and of the peritoneal reflection determined with rigid sigmoidoscopy and to determine whether there are any differences in the location of the peritoneal reflection between the genders and in relation to body mass index (BMI) and parity. Design We prospectively investigated the location of the middle rectal valve and of the peritoneal reflection via intraoperative rigid sigmoidoscopy in colorectal cancer patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery. Results We evaluated 38 patients with a mean age of 55.5 years old (57.5% males) who underwent colorectal surgery at the coloproctology service of the Hospital Santa Marcelina, São Paulo, state of São Paulo, Brazil. There was substantial agreement between the lengths of the middle rectal valve and of the peritoneal reflection (Kappa = 0.66). In addition, the peritoneal reflection was significantly lower in overweight patients (p = 0.013 for women and p < 0.005 for men) and in women with > 2 vaginal deliveries (p = 0.009), but there was no significant difference in the length of the peritoneal reflection between genders (p = 0.32). Conclusion There was substantial agreement between the lengths of the peritoneal reflection and of the middle rectal valve, and the peritoneal reflection was significantly lower in overweight patients and in women with more than two vaginal deliveries.

The Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry is the official publication of Brazilian Psychiatric Association (Associação Brasileira de Psiquiatria - ABP)