A major challenge for those in North America will be to provide the health care for elders with cancer and other diseases in the coming years. To meet this challenge we must expand and train the number of health care providers at all levels. Muss, H. B. (2009). Clinical Oncology 21, 92-98 (C) 2008 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Background: The number of implantable cardioverter defibrillator
(ICD) replacements is increasing, which adds to patient learn more risk and costs.
Objectives: To understand the impact of increasing ICD longevity on need for replacements, costs, and some of the risks.
Methods: Using the Veterans Affairs records, veterans with ICD implants between June 1992 and April 2007 and dead as of April 2009 were identified. Data were obtained by retrospective records review. The longevity of each ICD was the duration from implant to explant. For each ICD, the longevity needed to avoid one replacement was defined as longevity of that ICD plus the longevity of the subsequent ICD.
Results: The study cohort had 164 patients with 301 ICD implants. Ninety-two
patients had at least one ICD replacement. Two patients were excluded for missing data. Twenty-seven patients had an ICD explanted for reasons other than battery depletion. Sixty-three patients received 83 ICDs for battery depletion alone. Among 27 patients who had ICD replacements for other reasons, four patients may have avoided a device infection related to ICD replacement if the initial ICD had lasted 7 years. If all JNJ-26481585 molecular weight ICDs had lasted 5, 7, or 9 years, then 26%, 58%, and 84% of patients, respectively, would not have needed an ICD replacement. Also 17, 37, and 53 PI3K inhibitor ICD replacements, respectively, would have been avoided, saving US$314,500-US$980,500 over 15 years at 2005 Medicare re-imbursement rates.
Conclusions: Prolongation of battery life to 7 or 9 years is important to reduce patient risks and decrease costs. (PACE 2010; 33:314-319)”
“Objective-To
evaluate risk factors for outcome for dogs with adrenal gland tumors with or without invasion of the caudal vena cava treated via adrenalectomy.
Design-Retrospective study.
Animals-86 dogs that underwent adrenalectomy for treatment of adrenal gland tumors.
Procedures-Medical records of dogs that underwent adrenalectomy for treatment of an adrenal gland tumor from 1993 to 2009 were reviewed; data collected including signalment, clinical signs, diagnostic test findings, treatments prior to surgery, findings at surgery including additional procedures performed and extent of caudal vena caval invasion (local invasion [caudal to the hepatic portion of the vena cava] or extensive invasion [cranial to the hepatic portion of the vena cava]), procedures performed during surgery, histopathologic diagnosis, perioperative complications, follow-up data, and necropsy findings.