Articles: adult.
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On February 6, 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the prohibition of physician-assisted death (PAD) was unconstitutional for a competent adult person who "clearly consents to the termination of life" and has a "grievous and irremediable (including an illness, disease, or disability) condition that causes enduring suffering that is intolerable to the individual in the circumstances of his or her condition." The radically subjective nature of this ruling raises important questions about who will be involved and how this practice might be regulated. This paper aims to stimulate discussion about psychiatry's role in this heretofore illegal practice and to explore how psychiatry might become involved in end-of-life care in a meaningful, patient-centred way. First, I will review existing international legislation and professional regulatory standards regarding psychiatry and PAD. Second, I will discuss important challenges psychiatry might face regarding capacity assessment, the notion of rational suicide, and the assessment of suffering.
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Ulus Travma Acil Cer · Dec 2015
Effects of decompressive craniectomy, hypertonic saline solution and mannitol on an experimental model of cerebral ischemia.
Cerebral ischemia is a cause of serious morbidity and mortality. Strategies that would protect cerebral tissue against ischemic injury are important. The present study aimed to evaluate effects of surgical and medical treatments, either alone or in combination, on infarction area in an experimental rat model of cerebral ischemia. ⋯ Both medical and surgical treatments were effective in decreasing cerebral ischemic infarction. There was no difference between medical treatments groups in terms of efficacy, whereas DC led to a substantial decrease in ischemic infarction volume as compared with the medical treatment groups. Combined treatment approaches performed to decrease infarction volume also resulted in favorable outcomes.