Cost analysis and outcomes of endoscopic, minimal access and open pancreatic necrosectomy.

Objectives: To assess both individual patient and institutional costs as well as outcomes in patients with pancreatic necrosis who underwent either endoscopic, minimal access or open pancreatic necrosectomy. These data can be used to evaluate clinical effectiveness with a view to informing local health care providers.

Summary Background Data: Intervention for infected pancreatic necrosis is associated with a high morbidity, mortality and long hospital stays.

Outcomes From Minimal Access Retroperitoneal and Open Pancreatic Necrosectomy in 394 Patients With Necrotizing Pancreatitis.

Objective: To examine the outcomes from minimal access retroperitoneal pancreatic necrosectomy (MARPN) and open pancreatic necrosectomy (OPN) for severe necrotizing pancreatitis in a single center.

Background: The optimal management of severe pancreatic necrosis is evolving with a few large center single series.

Methods: Between 1997 and 2013, patients with necrotizing pancreatitis at the Liverpool Pancreas Center were reviewed.

Incidence of post-ERCP pancreatitis from direct pancreatic juice collection in hereditary pancreatitis and familial pancreatic cancer before and after the introduction of prophylactic pancreatic stents and rectal diclofenac.

Objectives: Individuals from hereditary pancreatitis (HP) and familial pancreatic cancer (FPC) kindreds are at increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Premalignant molecular changes may be detected in pancreatic juice collected by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). The objective was to determine the risk of post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP).

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided choledoco-duodenostomy as an alternative to percutaneous trans-hepatic cholangiography.

Background: Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS)-guided choledochoduodenostomy (CDS) is an alternative to percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC) drainage in patients with an obstructed biliary system where conventional endoscopic retrograde biliary drainage (ERBD) has been unsuccessful.

Methods: Five EUS-CDS procedures were reviewed to assess whether successful decompression was achieved and maintained.

Results: There was technical success in each instance with no immediate complications.

Preparation, characterization, and scale-up of ketoconazole with enhanced dissolution and bioavailability.

Many new molecular entities targeted for pharmaceutical applications face serious development challenges because of poor water solubility. Although particle engineering technologies such as controlled precipitation have been shown to enhance aqueous dissolution and bioavailability of poorly water soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients, the data available are the results of laboratory-scale experiments. These technologies must be evaluated at larger scale to ensure that the property enhancement is scalable and that the modified drugs can be processed on conventional equipment.

In vivo force during arterial interventional radiology needle puncture procedures.

To adequately simulate the forces generated during interventional radiological (IR) procedures, non intrusive in-vivo methods must be used. Using finger tip mounted, non intrusive capacitance force sensor pads (PPS, Los Angeles, California) we have been able to measure the forces involved in interventional radiology without a change in procedure technique. Data acquired during the process of calibration of the capacitance pads in conjunction with extensive in-vitro needle puncture force measurement using a commercially available tensile tester (Nene Industries, UK) are presented here.

Development and characterization of a scalable controlled precipitation process to enhance the dissolution of poorly water-soluble drugs.

Purpose: Poorly water-soluble compounds are being found with increasing frequency among pharmacologically active new chemical entities, which is a major concern to the pharmaceutical industry. Some particle engineering technologies have been shown to enhance the dissolution of many promising new compounds that perform poorly in formulation and clinical studies (Rogers et. al.