Dtsch Arztebl Int
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Drugs, psychotherapy, and other treatment modalities are effective for many patients with mental illness. Nonetheless, many patients do not achieve a total remission with the currently available interventions, and the recurrence rates are high. As part of the ongoing search for further treatment options for refractory disorders, there is renewed interest in focal neuromodulatory techniques, including invasive ones, and deep brain stimulation (DBS) in particular. ⋯ DBS may be a therapeutic option for selected patients with otherwise intractable mental illness. Patients should only be treated in the setting of clinical trials. RCTs with longer follow-up times must be conducted in order to substantiate, if possible, the promising evidence that has been found in case series.
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Since identification of the first cases in December 2019, COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2) has spread across the world, giving rise to a global pandemic. ⋯ The principal treatment measures are maintenance of adequate oxygenation, pharmacological prevention of thrombosis, and, in severe cases, administration of dexamethasone.