Economic evaluation of cell salvage in pediatric surgery.

Background: Red blood cells are a scarce resource with demand outstripping supply. Use of intraoperative red cell salvage (CS) - the process of collecting shed blood during surgery and reinfusing it to patients - is often used as an effective blood conservation strategy. However, little is known about the economic impact of CS during pediatric surgery.

An interdisciplinary approach to research management in anesthesia: the integrated clinical research team model.

The Anesthesia Clinical Research Unit (ACRU) at Boston Children's Hospital developed the integrated clinical research team model in 2009 as a framework to support the high ethical standards and team-based approach in pediatric anesthesia research which was already established within the department. The foundation of the model is built on interdisciplinary collaboration, communication, and integrity in the field of clinical research. Above all, the work of the ACRU is focused on the patients, families and community as a whole.