As predicted by theory: choice and competition in a publicly funded and regulated regional health system yield improved access and cost control.

Background: New Public Management (NPM) has been widely used to introduce competition into public healthcare. Results have been mixed, and there has been much controversy about the appropriateness of a private sector-mimicking governance model in a public service. One voice in the debate suggested that rather than discussing whether competition is "good" or "bad" the emphasis should be on exploring the conditions for a successful implementation.

Predicting clinical outcome and length of sick leave after surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis in Sweden: a multi-register evaluation.

Purpose: Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) can be surgically treated, with variable outcome. Studies have linked socioeconomic factors to outcome, but no nation-wide studies have been performed. This register-based study, including all patients surgically treated for LSS during 2008-2012 in Sweden, aimed to determine predictive factors for the outcome of surgery.

Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide concentration and renin activity during overhydration with 1.5% glycine solution in conscious sheep.

We estimated the changes of fluid compartment volumes and concomitant effects on plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and plasma renin activity (PRA) for up to 4 hr after intravenous infusion of 57 ml/kg of 1.5% glycine solution over 40 min in six conscious ewes. Infusions of the same volumes of isotonic saline served as controls.

Haemodynamics and fluid balance after intravenous infusion of 1.5% glycine in sheep.

With the aim of studying the pathophysiological background of the "TUR syndrome", we gave six conscious ewes an intravenous infusion of 57 ml/kg of 1.5% glycine solution over 40 min. Isotonic saline infusions served as controls.

Ethanol monitoring of transurethral prostatic resection during inhaled anesthesia.

The purpose of this study was to examine the precision of a method of breath-alcohol analysis used to monitor absorption of irrigating fluid during transurethral resection of the prostate performed under inhaled anesthesia. A breath-alcohol analyzer (Alcolmeter SD-2) was placed between the endotracheal tube and the Bains' circuit. The concentration of ethanol in the breath, serum sodium concentration, and volumetric fluid balance were measured at 10-min intervals during 38 operations when the irrigating fluid contained 1.