A922 Sequential measurement of 1 hour creatinine clearance (1-CRCL) in critically ill patients at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI)

Meeting abstrac

Reconstruction versus conservative treatment after rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament: cost effectiveness analysis

BACKGROUND: The decision whether to treat conservatively or reconstruct surgically a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is an ongoing subject of debate. The high prevalence and associated public health burden of torn ACL has led to continuous efforts to determine the best therapeutic approach. A critical evaluation of benefits and expenditures of both treatment options as in a cost effectiveness analysis seems well-suited to provide valuable information for treating physicians and healthcare policymakers. METHODS: A literature review identified four of 7410 searched articles providing sufficient outcome probabilities for the two treatment options for modeling. A transformation key based on the expert opinions of 25 orthopedic surgeons was used to derive utilities from available evidence. The cost data for both treatment strategies were based on average figures compiled by Orthopaedic University Hospital Balgrist and reinforced by Swiss national statistics. A decision tree was constructed to derive the cost-effectiveness of each strategy, which was then tested for robustness using Monte Carlo simulation. RESULTS: Decision tree analysis revealed a cost effectiveness of 16,038 USD/0.78 QALY for ACL reconstruction and 15,466 USD/0.66 QALY for conservative treatment, implying an incremental cost effectiveness of 4,890 USD/QALY for ACL reconstruction. Sensitivity analysis of utilities did not change the trend. CONCLUSION: ACL reconstruction for reestablishment of knee stability seems cost effective in the Swiss setting based on currently available evidence. This, however, should be reinforced with randomized controlled trials comparing the two treatment strategies

H2S sensing properties of La-doped nanocrystalline In2O3

The nanocrystalline powders of pure and La3(+)-doped In2O3 with cubic structure were prepared by a simple hydrothermal decomposition route. The structure and crystal phase of the powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and microstructure by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). All the compositions exhibited a single phase, suggesting a formation of solid solution in the concentration of doping investigated. Gas-sensing properties of the sensor elements were tested by mixing a gas in air at static state, as a function of concentration of dopant, operating temperature and concentrations of the test gases. The pure In2O3 exhibited high response towards H2S gas at an operating temperature 3, 3, 150 degrees C. Doping of In2O3 with La increases its response towards H2S and La3+ (5.0 wt.% La2O3)-doped In2O3 showed the maximum response at 125 degrees C. The selectivity of the sensor elements for H2S against different reducing gases was studied. The results on response and recovery time were also discussed. (C) 200