Neurological research
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Neurological research · Oct 2014
The cost-effectiveness of CT-guided sacroiliac joint injections: a measure of QALY gained.
The purpose of this study is to estimate the total cost and the quality of life years (QALY) gained for computer tomography (CT)-guided sacroiliac joint (SIJ) injections. The cost per QALY gained for the procedure is the primary end-point of this study. ⋯ In one of the first cost analyses of CT-guided sacroiliac injections, we found that the procedure improves pain and activities of daily living. The cost per QALY gained by CT-guided sacroiliac injections falls well below the threshold cost of 1 QALY, suggesting that the procedure is strongly cost-effective.
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Neurological research · Oct 2014
Selective cerebral hypothermia induced via hypothermic retrograde jugular vein saline flush in a porcine model.
Multiple methods of selective brain cooling have been used to prevent cerebral ischemia secondary to trauma and pathological or iatrogenic cerebral blood flow restriction. In this study, we tested the efficacy of hypothermic retrograde jugular vein flush (HRJVF) in eliciting selective brain hypothermia in a porcine model. ⋯ These results suggest that HRJVF is an effective method for selective brain hypothermia in a large animal model. Clinical application may prove effective in delaying neural ischemia.