Objectives: Provide a cost economic model for assisting decisions regarding addition of a regional PCI facility.
Methods: We used the following in the model: (1) PCI laboratory construction costs, (2) ambulance transportation costs, (3) procedural costs, and (4) expected clinical volume. We compared expected per PCI cost of air transportation vs deploying a regional facility based PR 171 on population and distance from an existing centre.
Results:
Potential cost economic advantages exist for establishing new PCI centres with decreasing minimum populations of 208,100, 141,900, and 110,000 located at increasing distances of 150 km, 300 km, and 450 km, respectively, from the existing tertiary PCI centres. Sensitivity analyses suggest that regions with modest populations of approximately 200,000 located at these distances may be economically attractive.
Conclusions: The derived algorithm can be used to assess the economics component of establishing regional PCI laboratories and identify opportunities for extending access for
primary PCI. This model presents a means for evaluating the economic Selleck GSK126 implications of constructing a new facility. Additional components such as staffing and patient preferences for location of care also require consideration.”
“It was aimed to investigate the effects of short-term maternal fasting on fetal
biophysical profile (BPP) scores and obstetric doppler indices.
Thirty healthy uncomplicated singleton pregnancy cases were enrolled into the study.
Fasting decreased BPP reversibly, but not to a level below 8/10. AFI, umbilical and MCA impedances were unchanged while pulsatility, resistance and systolic/diastolic values of uterine arteries were increased.”
“This work refers to the synthesis and characterization of thermosensitive hydrogels based on interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) and calcium alginate in the form of films. The influence of the crosslinking degree of PNIPAAm and alginate content on thermal, swelling, mechanical, and morphological properties of hydrogels is investigated in detail. Characterization of pure PNIPAAm hydrogels and IPN hydrogels PKC412 order was performed by FTIR, DSC, DMA, and SEM. In addition, the studies of equilibrium swelling behavior as well as swelling, deswelling, and reswelling kinetics are performed. The results obtained imply the benefits of synthesizing IPNs based on PNIPAAm and calcium alginate over pure PNIPAAm hydrogels. The presence of calcium alginate contributes to the improvement of mechanical properties, the deswelling rate of hydrogels, and the network porosity, without altering the thermosensitivity of PNIPAAm significantly. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.