USA Today (8/28, Zoroya) details the effects of sequestration on military medical workers, reporting that “nearly 3,400 military medical workers quit this year in the months when furloughs were threatened or being carried out,” with most of the losses being incurred by Army medical facilities. The majority of people “leaving went to work for the Department of Veterans Affairs which was not included in the budget cuts,” Army surgeon general Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho explained to USA Today. Horoho “says she was forced to furlough about 60% of her doctors and nurses.” Furloughs and job uncertainty created a climate in which medical personnel felt devalued, which Horoho attributed to so many people leaving.

Related Links:

— “Military civilian medical workers quit after furloughs, “Gregg Zoroya, USA Today, August 28, 2013.

HealthDay (8/28, Norton) reports that, according to a study recently published in the North American Journal of Science and Medicine, youngsters with autism, when allowed to choose how they play, tend to “pick games that engage their senses and avoid games that ask them to pretend.” After spending “six months observing children who attended a local museum’s Au-some Evenings, a monthly program designed for children with autism,” researchers discovered that youngsters with autism “were naturally drawn to activities that got them moving, or allowed them to watch moving objects.”

Related Links:

— “What Is ‘Play’ to a Child With Autism?, “Amy Norton, HealthDay, August 27, 2013.

The Los Angeles Times (8/27, Koseff) reports that Medal of Honor winner Army Staff Sgt. Ty Carter “has spoken openly of his struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD], which many veterans bring home after violent experiences in combat.” Carter “has said he wants to eliminate the stigma and shame that discourages soldiers from getting help,” urging “the American public to learn more about PTSD” and its effects on combat soldiers.

The Washington Post (8/27, Vogel) “Federal Eye” blog reports that in remarks during the medal presentation ceremony, President “Obama said it was ‘absolutely critical…to put an end to any stigma’ that prevents troops from getting treatment for PTSD.”

Related Links:

— “Medal of Honor recipient urges support for PTSD, “Alexei Koseff, Los Angeles Times, August 26, 2013.

The Wall Street Journal (8/27, A6, Lagnado, Subscription Publication) reports that a two-year effort by nursing homes and Medicare to reduce use of antipsychotic medications has been unsuccessful. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid officials witnessed a 9% decrease in antipsychotic usage from 2011 to 2013, far from the goal of a 15% decrease by the end of 2012. Officials now hope to reach the 15% rate decrease by the end of the year. According to nursing home officials, instead of addressing the issue of hiring more staff, many nursing homes instead resort to antipsychotics to pacify their residents.

Related Links:

— “Nursing Homes’ Drug Use Falls,The Wall Street Journal, August 26, 2013.

Medscape (8/27, Cassels) reports that, according to a study published online Aug. 21 in the BMJ, “antidepressant use by pregnant women around the time of delivery is linked to an increased risk for postpartum hemorrhage.” The study of 106,000 pregnant women of childbearing age diagnosed with either anxiety or a mood disorder revealed “a 1.5-fold increased risk for postpartum hemorrhage associated with all classes of antidepressants and not just selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.” An accompanying editorial called the increased risk a “cause for concern.”

Related Links:

— “Antidepressants and postpartum haemorrhage,BMJ, August 21, 2013.