Inaccuracy of available surgical risk scores to predict outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Introduction: Despite encouraging short-term and mid-term results, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) interventions are still burdened from high rates of adverse events, stressing the need for accurate predictive risk instruments. We compared available surgical risk scores to describe unfavorable outcomes after TAVI.

Methods: The Age, Creatinine, and Ejection fraction (ACEF) score, the logistic Euroscore, and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Mortality score (STS) were appraised for their independent power of prediction and for their accuracy (C-index) to predict 30-day and medium-term mortality, according to the Valve Academic Research Consortium.

Cost analysis of blood purification in intensive care units: continuous versus intermittent hemodiafiltration.

Background: We implemented a program for continuous renal replacement therapies (CRRT) in intensive care units (ICU) based on the cooperative work of dialysis and ICU personnel. Our aim was to report the main details of this program and compare its cost with that of intermittent hemodiafiltration (IHDF).

Methods: The study referred to 181 ICU patients with renal failure.