“I'm not great at the advice. Can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?”

This is what ‘Friends’ actor Matthew Perry’s character Chandler Bing was known for. He was known for being funny. However, he had his own struggles in his personal life and those struggles were acute depression. He was treating it with ketamine infusion therapy which is legal in the US and the UK.

What is Ketamine infusion therapy?

Ketamine is an anaesthetic used to treat depression, anxiety and pain under supervised and controlled medical settings. However, it does have its side effects, which can lead to distortion of sight, sound and time. It can also produce calming and relaxing effects.

Ketamine increases a person’s heart rate and blood pressure. If overdosed, it can leave users confused and agitated and can cause them to hurt themselves without even realising it. It can also lead to liver damage and bladder problems.

However, when used in moderation and under the supervision of medical doctors, it can treat depression where traditional antidepressants have failed.

Prof Rupert McShane, a University of Oxford psychiatrist who runs an NHS ketamine treatment clinic told BBC that ketamine “probably turns off the area of the brain that is involved in disappointment.”

Can Ketamine Infusion Therapy Kill Someone?

In simple terms, it cannot, be if the dosage is given in a controlled setting and as prescribed. Ketamine infusion therapy uses drugs in small doses than those used for anaesthesia. It acts faster than traditional anti-depressants, but the effects also wear off way quickly. Which is why it is important to monitor patients’ mental state for relapsing back into depression and discouraging them from overdosing on it.

There are ways of giving people ketamine. One of the ways is through “infusing”, which means to use an IV drip. However, injections, nasal sprays and capsules are also methods used to give people ketamine.

Since the dosage of ketamine used in the infusion treatment is small, it being the reason of actor Perry’s death was ruled out. The medical examiner also noted that Perry’s last ketamine infusion therapy session happened more than a week before his death, which means by the time he had died, it must have worn off.

So, What Happened To Perry?

Though Perry’s last session was more than a week before, his post-mortem showed that his blood contained a high concentration of ketamine. He had died of the “acute effects” of ketamine.

If it was not his session, then how did he get ketamine?

Prosecutors alleged that his assistant gave him at least 27 shots of ketamine in four days before his death, reported BBC.

Perry has been open about his personal struggles and this is what the doctors and dealers used against him. Martin Estrada, the US attorney for California’s Central District told the BBC that people took advantage of his condition. They charged him 165 times more than what vials of ketamine cost.

Names that have come up include Dr Salvador Plasencia, drug dealers “Ketamine Queen” aka Jasveen Sangha and Eric Fleming, and Perry’s live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa.

Who Are These Names And What Did They Do?

Ketamine Queen or Sangha supplied drugs that led to Perry’s death. Her home was a “drug-selling emporium,” said Estrada. More than 80 vials of ketamine, and thousands of pills including methamphetamine, cocaine and Xanax were allegedly found in her house known as the “Sangha Stash House.”

Sangha is known to deal with high-end celebs and was a “major source of supply for ketamine to others as well as Perry,” said Estrada.

Dr Plasencia called Perry a “moron” while charging him $2,000 for vials that cost only $12. He sold Perry 20 vials of ketamine between September and October 2023, costing $55,000.

He was the one who taught Iwamasa, who had no medical knowledge to inject the drug. This is after he knew that “Perry’s ketamine addiction was spiralling out of control,” as per what the investigators told the BBC.

Another dealer Fleming was told by Sangha to “delete all our messages.” While Fleming pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute drugs unlawfully, he also allegedly messaged Sangha: “Please call...Got more info and want to bounce ideas off you. I’m 90% sure everyone is protected. I never dealt with [Perry] only his assistant. So the assistant was the enabler.”

The court documents also revealed that he asked Sangha on whether the ketamine stays in your system or “is it immediately flushed out.”

Dr Pepper, Bots, Cans

The people who allegedly exploited Perry used coded language for ketamine and called it “Dr Pepper”, “bots”, or “cans.”

Selling overpriced drugs, taking advantage of Perry’s mental condition and falsifying medical records to make the drugs given to him look legitimate by Dr Plasencia is what took Perry’s life.

Iwamasa is said to have administered more than 20 shots of ketamine and three on the day Perry died. Whereas ketamine is only administered by a physician. Authorities also found that weeks before Perry’s death, Dr Plasencia allegedly bought 10 vials of ketamine and intended to sell to Perry.

He also injected Perry with a large dose, two days later. This caused him to “freeze up” and spiked his blood pressure.

When I Die, I Want Helping Others To Be The First Thing That’s Mentioned

Perry had always been open about his drug addictions, struggles with alcohol and his depression. He said that his openness would help others who are also struggling and wanted to be remembered by his quote which also is on the homepage of the Mattew Perry Foundation that helps others struggling with the disease of addiction: “When I die, I want helping others to be the first thing that’s mentioned.”

Five arrests have been made in the case so far.

Even after recovery, the deadly Ebola virus (EBOV) can persist for a longer duration — more than three months — in breastmilk, according to a case report.

Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a severe viral illness that has a 25 percent – 90 percent fatality rate.

Ebola in pregnancy raises significant complications ranging from spontaneous abortion to maternal and neonatal death.

In a case report published in the New England Journal of Medicine, a team of researchers from the Republic of Congo and Senegal shared the case history of a 23-year-old woman in whom Ebola was still detectable in breast milk at 14 weeks.

The case reported the rare occurrence of a pregnant woman who survived EVD with no complications, neither to the mother nor the baby. However, the deadly virus was still present in the mothers' breast milk, which cited the potential risk of post-illness transmission to infants.

What Is Ebola Virus Disease?

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), EVD is a rare but severe illness in humans and is often fatal.

People can get infected with the virus if they touch an infected animal when preparing food, or touch body fluids of an infected person such as saliva, urine, feces or semen, or things that have body fluids of an infected person like clothes or sheets.

Ebola enters the body through cuts in the skin or when one is touching their eyes, nose or mouth. Early symptoms include fever, fatigue and headache.

What Was The Case

The woman from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) contracted EBOV during pregnancy in 2019.

Soon after, she was administered monoclonal antibody therapy and was discharged after three negative reverse-transcriptase–polymerase-chain-reaction blood tests for EBOV.

The woman delivered a healthy baby at 42 weeks of gestation. No evidence of EBOV infection was found in maternal blood, amniotic fluid, vaginal secretions, or the newborn.

Ebola Detectable In Breast Milk At 14 Weeks

Yet surprisingly, the EBOV virus persisted in the placenta and breast milk.

Tests revealed that while the mother’s blood remained negative, viral RNA was still detectable in breast milk at 14 weeks after illness onset. To protect the newborn from transmission, clinicians used the drug bromocriptine to suppress lactation.

As per the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, the mother was also isolated from the baby and not breastfed. A prophylactic (preventive) monoclonal antibody was also given to the newborn. During follow-up, the infant exhibited no signs of infection.

Ebola Virus: WHO Guidelines

During the 2018–2020 EVD outbreak in the northeast of DRC, 3,481 confirmed cases were reported. Of these, nearly 60 percent occurred in females, and about 45 percent occurred in children below 18 years of age.

Current WHO guidance recommends that Ebola survivors avoid breastfeeding until viral clearance is confirmed.

The global health body advises women with suspected or confirmed Ebola to immediately stop breastfeeding and be prioritized for diagnostic testing.

Children exposed to Ebola through breast milk

• Must be placed under care,
• Closely monitored for symptoms over 21 days
• Fed with an appropriate breast milk substitute.
• Restarted on breastfeeding after two consecutive negative tests of breast milk.

Meningitis – the inflammation of the brain and spinal cord lining – has claimed 259,000 lives worldwide in 2023, according to a new study, published in The Lancet Neurology.

A total of 2.5 million people globally were infected with meningitis, which is also the leading infectious cause of neurological disabilities.

Importantly, children accounted for a third of the deaths, many of which were in Africa, according to research that described itself as the most comprehensive global assessment of meningitis yet.

The study comes amidst a “unprecedented” meningitis outbreak in the UK’s Kent, where two people died, and many were infected.

Meningitis: Achieving WHO 2030 goals

According to the study, global vaccination campaigns since 2000, played a significant role in reducing the number of infections and deaths by bacterial meningitis, in both high-income and low-income countries.

The Global Burden of Disease study led by an international team of researchers led by those from the University of Washington, showed that although mortality and incidence have declined significantly since 1990, progress is insufficient to meet the WHO 2030 targets.

The WHO targets a 50 percent reduction in meningitis infections and 70 percent reduction in deaths by 2030. However, a substantial meningitis burden persists. It also lags behind other vaccine-preventable diseases.

The driving factor are:

• common pathogens such as S pneumoniae and N meningitidis
• emerging non-bacterial pathogens such as Candida spp
• drug-resistant fungi.

Also read: Bacterial Meningitis May Cause Long-term Fatigue, Vision Problems, Raise Suicide Risk: Study

What Is Meningitis?

Meningitis is a serious medical condition that affects the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, the meninges. While fever is not always present, it is usually considered as one of the classic symptoms of meningitis.

It is important to know the varied symptoms, causes, and treatments of meningitis for early diagnosis and proper management of the disease.

Meningitis is an infectious illness that brings about inflammation in the meninges. The most common cause of such inflammation is bacterial or viral infections, though other causes are also possible including fungal, parasitic, or non-infectious causes (autoimmune disease, head injury, or brain surgery).

Meningitis may also be caused by bacterial meningitis, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates can be so severe and bring about conditions like hearing loss, vision problems, and death if not received on time.

Also read: From Vaping to Worm Attack: 5 Unimaginable Ways to Contract Meningitis

Meningitis: Risk factors

As per the Lancet study, the greatest risk factors for deaths was

• low birthweight
• premature birth
• air pollution (both household and atmospheric).

Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, non-polio enteroviruses, and other viruses were the leading causes of death, while non-polio enteroviruses caused the most cases.

To achieve further reductions in the disease globally, the researchers called for greater efforts, including:

• expanding vaccination programs,
• greater antibiotic stewardship,
• improving access to care,
• strengthening diagnostics and monitoring for meningitis.

Also read: Unique Symptoms Of Meningitis That Caused An Outbreak In Kent University

Common Symptoms Of Meningitis

• Rash
• Headaches
• Neck stiffness
• Fever
• Drowsiness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Increased sensitivity to light.

World Doctors’ Day is celebrated every year on March 30 to honor physicians for their dedication and compassion in saving lives and ensuring healthy communities.

Doctors are often regarded as God as they work tirelessly to save lives, even amidst conflicts or pandemics, without counting their own lives.

Often referred to as a noble profession, their mission transcends boundaries and also showcases profound human values rooted in compassion, dedication, and responsibility.

They play a significant role in building resilient, healthy societies and the world.

While there is no universally declared theme to mark the day, several campaigns are held focusing on the well-being and resilience of doctors, especially in the post-pandemic era.

World Doctors’ Day: History

World Doctors’ Day is the same as US National Doctors Day.

It was first observed in 1933 in Georgia and officially recognized in 1990 when George H. W. Bush signed it into law.

The first Doctors' Day was initiated by Eudora Brown Almond, wife of Dr. Charles B. Almond, and was adopted by the Barrow County Alliance.

The day was also observed to mark the anniversary of the first use of general anesthesia in surgery by Dr. Crawford W. Long in Jefferson, Georgia, in 1842.

The idea was then presented to the Georgia State Medical Alliance in 1933 by E. R. Harris of Winder, president of the Barrow County Alliance.

On May 10, 1934, the resolution was adopted at the annual state meeting in Augusta, Georgia.

Later, it was resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the US in Congress to designate March 30 as “National Doctors’ Day.”

The symbol for Doctors' Day is often the red carnation, chosen for its color that represents love, charity, and sacrifice — that highlights the profession.

The US reportedly has over 985,000 to 1 million practicing physicians.

World Doctors’ Day: Significance:

The day honors physicians' commitment, service, and contributions to healthcare, often highlighting their role in patient care. Their role is also in medical innovations that have given life to people across the globe.

It also highlights challenges faced by the physician community, like burnout, workforce shortages, and rising health demands.

Doctors are also overburdened with increasing patient load and staff shortages. Some also face workplace violence and safety concerns.

Notably, digital healthcare and evolving technologies have also added pressures and an additional burden to their practice.

Countries Celebrating World Doctors’ Day

World Doctors’ Day is celebrated on March 30 in the US, the UAE, and Australia.

India celebrates National Doctors’ Day on July 1, commemorating the birth and death anniversary of renowned physician Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy.