Atropine is an anticholinergic drug which is used in both parental and topical routes. Topical eye-drops of atropine sulfate are used as mydriatic and cycloplegics. Parental atropine-induced delirium is well known but topical atropine eye-drop-induced delirium cases are very limited in literature. In this case report, an elderly man underwent cataract surgery and developed delirium after the use of 1% atropine sulfate eye-drops as prescribed. This case supports the notion that even atropine eye-drops can cause delirium in patients at therapeutic doses in elderly.

Background: The efficacy of ketamine in the rapid alleviation of depressive and suicidal symptoms has been observed over the past few years around the globe. Exploration of rapid antisuicidal efficacy of ketamine in Indian subpopulation can be a good preventive pharmacological option for unprecedented rise in suicides in India. Aim: To assess efficacy of ketamine infusions on suicidal patients of depressive disorder. Severity of depression and suicidality were quantified daily over 1 week. Materials and Methods: This was a randomized control study, comprised sixty patients of age group 18–60 years, with a diagnosis of depressive episode, having the Modified Scale for Suicidal Ideations (MSSI) score >20 with exclusion of severe medical or surgical illness, pregnancy, and breast-feeding females. Patient were assigned to ketamine and normal saline group. Three infusions were given over 1 week on day 0, day 2, and day 4. Assessments were made at baseline using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D17) and MSSI, for depression and suicidality, respectively. Assessments were repeated at 6 h after first infusion and then every day for 1 week. Results: There were significant reductions in HAM-D17 score and MSSI score within 6 h of the first dose in the ketamine group as compared to the normal saline group. Significant sustained improvement was seen on further days till 1 week in the ketamine group as compared to the normal saline group. Conclusion: Ketamine might be a reasonable choice to fulfil the efficacy gap created by the delayed antisuicidal onset of standard treatments.

No abstract

No abstract