Regulatory and Health Technology Assessment Considerations for Disease-Modifying Drugs in Alzheimer's Disease.

Although there are a growing number of well-reported, late-stage clinical trial failures in Alzheimer's disease, the introduction of a disease-modifying therapy within the next 5 years may be anticipated. These treatments are likely to target Alzheimer's disease in the earlier disease stages, unlike drugs that are currently available that treat symptoms of moderate-to-severe dementia. Therefore, there is a need to establish a consensus on regulatory and health technology assessment requirements for Alzheimer's disease, as a new drug will need to undergo regulatory and health technology assessments before it becomes available to patients.

Avoidable 30-day mortality analysis and failure to rescue in dysvascular lower extremity amputees.

Background and purpose - An enhanced treatment program may decrease 30-day mortality below 20% after lower extremity amputations (LEA). The potential and limitations for further reduction are unknown. We analyzed postoperative causes of 30-day mortality, and assessed failure to rescue (FTR) rate in LEA patients who followed an enhanced treatment program.

Total Blood Loss After Transfemoral Amputations Is Twice the Intraoperative Loss: An Observational Cohort Study of 81 Nontraumatic Amputations.

Introduction: Underestimation of the actual blood loss in patients undergoing nontraumatic transfemoral amputation (TFA) can impact negatively on outcome in these often frail patients, with very limited physiological reserves. The primary aim of this study is to estimate the total blood loss (TBL) after TFA, and second, to evaluate the impact of blood loss on 30-day mortality and medical complications.

Methods: A single-center retrospective cohort study conducted from 2013 to 2015.

Tourniquets do not increase the total blood loss or re-amputation risk in transtibial amputations.

Aim: To investigate the total blood loss (TBL) and the safety with respect to the re-amputation rate after transtibial amputation (TTA) conducted with and without a tourniquet.

Methods: The study was a single-centre retrospective cohort study of patients with a primary TTA admitted between January 2013 and April 2015. All patients with a primary TTA were assessed for inclusion if the amputation was performed because of arteriosclerosis or diabetic complications.

Surgical apgar score predicts early complication in transfemoral amputees: Retrospective study of 170 major amputations.

Aim: To assess whether the surgical apgar score (SAS) is a prognostic tool capable of identifying patients at risk of major complications following lower extremity amputations surgery.

Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective observational cohort study conducted between January 2013 and April 2015. All patients who had either a primary transtibial amputation (TTA) or transfemoral amputation (TFA) conducted at our institution during the study period were assessed for inclusion.