Cost-effectiveness analysis of renal replacement therapy in Austria.

Background: Providing renal replacement therapy (RRT) for end-stage renal disease patients is resource intensive. Despite growing financial pressure in health care systems worldwide, cost-effectiveness studies of RRT modalities are scarce.

Methods: We developed a Markov model of costs, quality of life and survival to compare three different assignment strategies to chronic RRT in Europe.

A systematic review of the evidence for radiofrequency ablation for Barrett's esophagus.

Background: Radiofrequency ablation with the HALO system is a new option for the treatment of patients with Barrett's esophagus. This systematic review summarizes the results of all relevant publications on this topic to answer patient-relevant clinical questions and to evaluate the potential benefit and harm of this new therapy.

Methods: A systematic literature search of MEDLINE and CENTRAL up to May 2009 was performed.

Statin use is associated with prolonged survival of renal transplant recipients.

The efficacy of statins for the prevention of cardiovascular events is well established in the general population but remains unknown in renal transplant recipients. In this study, the association of statin use with patient and graft survival was investigated in a cohort of 2041 first-time recipients of renal allografts between 1990 and 2003. Multivariable Cox regression demonstrated that statin use was independently associated with lower mortality rates.

[Palliative symptom control in malignant bowel obstruction due to advanced ovarian cancer].

This case study deals with symptom control of malignant bowel obstruction in patients suffering from recurrent ovarian carcinoma. The objective of the paper is to analyse various options of medical and surgical treatment. Relevant factors which have to be considered when deciding on the most efficient and adequate therapeutical approach are discussed and elaborated on.