No difference in midterm outcomes and complication rate between retroperitoneal and transperitoneal open aortic aneurysm repair in females.

Objectives: Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAA) in females are less prevalent, have higher expansion rates and experience rupture at smaller diameters than in males. Studies have compared outcomes of the retroperitoneal (RP) and transperitoneal (TP) approach in open aortic aneurysm repair (OAR) with conflicting results. No study to date has compared the two approaches solely in females.

Evaluating the Safety of Performing Flexible Cystoscopy When Urinalysis Suggests Presence of "Infection": Results of a Prospective Clinical Study in 2350 patients.

Background: There is significant underutilisation of allocated health service resources when a scheduled flexible cystoscopy (FC) is cancelled because a pre-cystoscopy urinalysis (PCU) suggests "infection", despite patients being asymptomatic for urinary tract infection (UTI).

Objective: To evaluate the risk of UTI or urinary sepsis when FC is performed in asymptomatic patients with a PCU positive for leucocyte esterase and/or nitrites.

Design Setting And Participants: A prospective cohort study was conducted in a high-volume UK centre recruiting all patients undergoing outpatient FC.

Affordable orphan drugs: a role for not-for-profit organizations.

Aims: The success of the Regulation on Orphan Medicinal Products in the European Union is evidenced by the 127 orphan drugs that have had market authorization since 2000. However, the incentives aimed at stimulating research and development have had the unintended consequence of increasing drug cost, resulting in many orphan drugs not being cost-effective. Orphan drugs command an increasing share of the pharmaceutical market and account for a disproportionate amount of healthcare expenditure.