The reality of drug-laced candy; Halloween and the gut microbiome; spooky ICD-10 codes for physicians – Morning Medical Update

Author(s):

Austin Littrell

Key Takeaways

Joel Best highlights that reports of drug-laced Halloween candy are often exaggerated or false, with vehicular accidents posing a greater risk.
Halloween candy's sugar content can adversely affect the gut microbiome, as explained by gastroenterologist Christopher J. Damman.
Physicians should be aware of 16 ICD-10 codes for Halloween-related incidents, including costume mishaps and other seasonal occurrences.

The top news stories in medicine today.

The myth of drug-laced Halloween candy

Joel Best, a criminologist at the University of Delaware, has cataloged the countless instances of contaminated, poisoned and laced Halloween candies, although, these stories might be overblown. These are often false reports, and the result of unfortunately timed accidents mistaken with the fall holiday. Best says that the real danger on Halloween isn’t in the form of drugs at all, but vehicles. The Washington Post has the story.

Halloween candy and the gut microbiome

It’s no surprise that candy isn’t health food, but sugar and other ingredients in Halloween treats can have serious negative effects on gut health. Christopher J. Damman, M.D., M.A., a gastroenterologist and gut microbiome researcher at the University of Washington School of Medicine, explains how a bowl of Halloween candy can affect a trick-or-treater’s gut microbiome in this article from PBS News.

16 spooky Halloween ICD-10 codes

Anticipating any supernatual encounters, costume mishaps or rowdy trick-or-treaters? Physicians should keep an eye out for these 16 spooky ICD-10 codes to stay prepared.