Cost-Effectiveness of Extended Thromboprophylaxis in Patients Undergoing Colorectal Surgery from a Canadian Health Care System Perspective.

Background: There is increasing evidence to support extended thromboprophylaxis after colorectal surgery to minimize the incidence of postdischarge venous thromboembolic events. However, the absolute number of events is small, and extended thromboprophylaxis requires significant resources from the health care system.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the cost-effectiveness of extended thromboprophylaxis in patients undergoing colorectal surgery for malignancy or IBD.

NINDS Common Data Elements for Congenital Muscular Dystrophy Clinical Research: A National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke Project.

Background: A Congenital Muscular Dystrophy (CMD) Working Group (WG) consisting of international experts reviewed common data elements (CDEs) previously developed for other neuromuscular diseases (NMDs) and made recommendations for all types of studies on CMD.

Objectives: To develop a comprehensive set of CDEs, data definitions, case report forms and guidelines for use in CMD clinical research to facilitate interoperability of data collection, as part of the CDE project at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

Methods: One working group composed of ten experts reviewed existing NINDS CDEs and outcome measures, evaluated the need for new elements, and provided recommendations for CMD clinical research.

Potential role of coronary computed tomography-angiography for guiding perioperative cardiac management for non-cardiac surgery.

Perioperative cardiac events can be a major consequence of surgery. The American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association has set out guidelines to aid physicians in identifying patients at the highest risk for these events. The guidelines do recommend for some patients to undergo non-invasive cardiac stress testing for further risk stratification, but their sensitivity and specificity for predicting cardiac events is not optimal.