Respiratory changes in term infants immediately after birth.

Introduction: Over 5% of infants worldwide receive breathing support immediately after birth. Our goal was to define references ranges for exhaled carbon dioxide (ECO), exhaled tidal volume (VTe), and respiratory rate (RR) immediately after birth in spontaneously breathing, healthy infants born at 36 weeks' gestational age or older.

Methods: This was a single-centre, observational study at the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, a busy perinatal referral centre.

Differences between hypothetical and experience-based value sets for EQ-5D used in Sweden: Implications for decision makers.

Aims: A number of value sets are available today for converting EQ-5D questionnaire responses to quality-adjusted life year-weights used in health economic evaluations. The aim of this study is to analyse the differences between the commonly used hypothetical UK value set and the newly introduced Swedish experience-based value set and to evaluate health economic implications of such differences on policy decisions.

Methods: Differences between the two value sets were studied using two methods: a comparison of health states and improvements as well as an empirical comparison.

Use of cost-effectiveness data in priority setting decisions: experiences from the national guidelines for heart diseases in Sweden.

Background: The inclusion of cost-effectiveness data, as a basis for priority setting rankings, is a distinguishing feature in the formulation of the Swedish national guidelines. Guidelines are generated with the direct intent to influence health policy and support decisions about the efficient allocation of scarce healthcare resources. Certain medical conditions may be given higher priority rankings i.