Each week, we identify one top search term, speculate as to what caused its popularity, and provide an infographic on a related condition. If you have thoughts about what’s trending and why, feel free to share them with us on Twitter or Facebook!
From surprising data to emerging treatment options, a wealth of new studies and news items related to virtually all aspects of dementia made that condition this week’s top trending clinical topic. Here’s a rundown of the major recent findings that garnered attention:
New research suggests that adhering to a healthy lifestyle may reduce the risk for dementia. Investigators found that fewer individuals at high genetic risk who followed a healthy lifestyle developed dementia than those at a high risk who followed an unhealthy lifestyle.
Heavy alcohol use was found to possibly triple the risk for dementia in certain individuals, according to new research.
The nearly overwhelming amount of news and research related to dementia contributed to a dramatic increase in searches, pushing the topic to the top of this week’s trending list.
A 65-Year-Old Man Brought to the ED by Military Police
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Jeffrey S. Forrest, MD; Alexander B. Shortridge
August 06, 2019
Editor’s Note: The Case Challenge series includes difficult-to-diagnose conditions, some of which are not frequently encountered by most clinicians but are nonetheless important to accurately recognize. Test your diagnostic and treatment skills using the following patient scenario and corresponding questions. If you have a case that you would like to suggest for a future Case Challenge, please contact us.
A 65-year-old man is brought to the emergency department by military police. The patient, who had been armed with a shotgun, refused to allow his spouse to leave their domicile. During the event, the patient’s relatives contacted the authorities. The patient insisted to his relatives that cell phone towers were beaming in rays that were worsening his wife’s dementia and rheumatoid arthritis. To counter this, the patient placed tin foil on the walls of his house. The patient would not let his spouse leave because he was concerned that government agents were attempting to attack her. The patient stated that he had been “reactivated” to his military duties. After a brief standoff with local police, the patient agreed to cooperate if the military police were contacted. Once the military police arrived, they were able to convince the patient to come out of his home unarmed and brought him to the hospital for treatment.
Upon his initial presentation, the patient refused to answer questions. He only provided his name, his military serial number, and his rank. He responded exclusively with this information to all questions posed to him.
During a follow-up interview the next day, the patient again reported that he had been “reactivated” and had “found some classified files.” The patient stated that he had to report this information and had called the commanding general of the US Army. He stated that his orders were to stay in place and secure the area. He acknowledged having a 16-gauge shotgun during the prior day’s events.
Information was then obtained by telephone from the patient’s son. The son reported that, several years prior, his father had taken his mother to a nearby city for safety because he thought “drones were flying above him” and that he and his wife were not safe. The patient had rented an apartment and placed his spouse inside a closet for safety. The son reported that the patient had been completely irrational at the time. When the son attempted to speak to his father, his father felt that the conversation was being tracked by phone and ended the call. After that incident, the patient’s wife and son came up with a “code word” that she could use on the phone with her son should the patient become irrational again. On the day of the patient’s admission, the patient’s spouse called her son and used that code word.
