Is it safe to cover the left subclavian artery when placing an endovascular stent in the descending thoracic aorta?

A best evidence topic in cardiac surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether the left subclavian artery may be safely covered with a descending thoracic aortic stent without a prior carotid-subclavian artery bypass or transposition procedure. Altogether 2612 abstracts were identified.

Oral calcitriol versus oral alfacalcidol for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism in patients receiving hemodialysis: a randomized, crossover trial.

Background: Secondary hyperparathyroidism is a common complication in patients with chronic kidney disease and treatment with vitamin D analogues is a mainstay of therapy. Although oral calcitriol and alfacalcidol are used extensively in Canada, there is little published data comparing equal doses of these agents.

Objectives: To compare the effect of equal doses of oral calcitriol and alfacalcidol on intact parathyroid hormone concentrations (iPTH) in the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism due to chronic kidney disease.

What interventions should pharmacists employ to impact health practitioners' prescribing practices?

Objective: To determine which interventions are effective in influencing health practitioners' prescribing practices and explore differences in intervention complexity, setting, sustainability, cost effectiveness, and impact on patient outcomes.

Methods: A systematic search for English-language systematic reviews was performed in MEDLINE, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library from the date of inception to July 2005 using search terms in accordance with Cochrane recommendations. Included reviews were required to clearly report a search strategy, inclusion/exclusion criteria, literature assessment criteria, and methods for synthesizing or summarizing information and references.

Patient-controlled versus nurse-controlled analgesia after cardiac surgery--a meta-analysis.

Background: Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) has been advocated as superior to conventional nurse-controlled analgesia (NCA) with less risk to patients. This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to determine whether PCA improves clinical and resource outcomes when compared with NCA.

Methods: A comprehensive search was undertaken to identify all randomized controlled trials of PCA vs NCA.

NSAID-analgesia, pain control and morbidity in cardiothoracic surgery.

Objective: While narcotics remain the backbone of perioperative analgesia, the adjunctive role of other analgesics, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), is being recognized increasingly. This meta-analysis sought to determine whether adjunctive NSAIDs improve postoperative analgesia and reduce cumulative narcotic requirements.

Methods: A comprehensive search was undertaken to identify all randomized trials, in cardiothoracic patients, of NSAIDs plus narcotics vs narcotics without NSAIDs.

Does off-pump coronary artery bypass reduce mortality, morbidity, and resource utilization when compared with conventional coronary artery bypass? A meta-analysis of randomized trials.

The authors undertook a meta-analysis of 37 randomized trials (3369 patients) of off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery versus conventional coronary artery bypass surgery. No significant differences were found for 30-day mortality (odds ratio [OR], 1.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.