Israel Medical Association Journal

Background: There is scant research on the psychopathology of Israeli soldiers who present to a general hospital emergency department (ED).

Objectives: To assess the psychopathology among a cohort of Israeli soldiers who presented to a general hospital ED for mental health assessment.

Methods: The demographic and clinical characteristics of 124 consecutive soldiers who presented to the ED for psychiatric assessment between January 2008 and September 2012 were reviewed. Twenty-seven soldiers from the cohort were contacted for follow-up by telephone on average 52 months later.

Results: The reasons for presentation to the ED, usually during the early stages of military service, included self-harming behavior, suicidal ideation, somatoform complaints, and dissatisfaction with their military service. Psychiatric diagnoses included adjustment disorder and personality disorder. Self-harming behavior/suicidal ideation was significantly correlated with unspecified adjustment disorder (P = 0.02) and personality disorder (P = 0.001). At follow-up, there was a lack of substantial psychopathology: none of the subjects engaged in self-harming behavior/suicidal ideation and a consistent trend was observed toward clinical improvement.

Conclusions: Psychiatric intervention of soldiers who present to a general hospital ED because of emotional difficulties may provide the opportunity for crisis intervention and validation of the soldier's distress. To the best of our knowledge this is the first Israeli study of psychopathology among soldiers who presented to an ED.

Background: Head lice move easily from head to head. The lack of safe, effective repellents leads to reinfestation.

Objectives: To test the efficacy of a slow-release citronella formulation as a repellent against the head louse.

Methods: During 4 months in 2003 a randomized, placebo-controlled double-blind clinical study was conducted in four elementary schools; 103 children were treated with the test formulation and 95 with a placebo.

Results: A significant difference was observed during the second examination 2 months later, when 12.0% of the children treated with the test repellent and 50.5% of those treated with placebo were infested with lice. A significant difference was also observed at the third examination 2 months later, when 12.4% of the children treated with the test repellent and 33.7% treated with placebo were infested. Overall, there were significant differences between those treated with the repellent and those treated with the placebo (15.4% and 55.1% respectively, P < 0.0001). Side effects were observed in 4.4% of children who disliked the odor of the formulation, and an additional 1.0% who complained of a slight itching and burning sensation.

Conclusions: Use of an effective repellent could significantly lower the incidence of reinfestations, which would lower expenditure on lice control, including pediculicides, combs and products for nit removal, and the time spent on treatment and removal of the nits.