Empirical anti-Candida therapy among selected patients in the intensive care unit: a cost-effectiveness analysis.

Background: Mortality from invasive candidiasis is high. Low culture sensitivity and treatment delay contribute to increased mortality, but nonselective early therapy may result in excess costs and drug resistance.

Objective: To determine the cost-effectiveness of anti-Candida strategies for high-risk patients in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Expanded criteria donor grafts for deceased donor liver transplantation under the MELD system: a decision analysis.

Expanded criteria donor (ECD) liver grafts have a higher likelihood of primary graft failure (PGF) compared with standard criteria donor (SCD) grafts. Given a choice between an available ECD graft versus waiting for an SCD graft that may not always become available, what should liver transplant candidates do? The study's aim was to estimate 1-year survival comparing immediate ECD liver grafting with waiting for an SCD organ. Using UNOS data, published literature estimates, and expert opinion, we constructed a Markov decision analytic model to estimate survival while waiting for an SCD transplant and survival with immediate ECD transplant.

Should beta-blockers be given to patients with heart disease and peanut-induced anaphylaxis? A decision analysis.

Background: Beta-blocker therapy postmyocardial infarction is generally recommended because it reduces mortality. However, beta-blockers may increase anaphylaxis mortality in the growing population of patients with peanut-induced anaphylaxis.

Objective: We sought to assess the risks and benefits of beta-blocker therapy among patients with peanut allergy and heart disease.

Systematic review of outcomes after surgical management of venous disease incorporating subfascial endoscopic perforator surgery.

Introduction: In the United States more than 6 million persons have chronic venous insufficiency and more than 500,000 have venous ulcers. Patients in whom conservative therapies fail may improve after surgical treatment of superficial and perforating venous disease, but the degree of this benefit is uncertain.

Purpose: We performed a systematic review of health outcomes in patients with severe chronic venous insufficiency treated with surgical management that incorporated subfascial endoscopic perforator surgery (SEPS), to quantify the overall rates of surgical outcomes.

A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials comparing coronary artery bypass graft with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty: one- to eight-year outcomes.

Objectives: We performed a meta-analysis of randomized trials comparing coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) for the treatment of coronary artery disease, incorporating new trials and examining long-term outcomes.

Background: Previous meta-analyses of trials comparing CABG with PTCA have reported short- and intermediate-term outcomes, but since then longer term follow-up and newer trials have been published.

Methods: We performed a meta-analysis of 13 randomized trials on 7,964 patients comparing PTCA with CABG.