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Objectives The purpose of this study was to compare the cost of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using bivalirudin with provisional platelet glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibition with that of heparin + routine GP IIb/IIIa inhibition. Background Although GP IIb/IIIa inhibition has been shown to reduce ischemic complications in a broad range of patients undergoing PCI, many patients currently do not receive such therapy because of concerns about bleeding complications or cost. Recently, bivalirudin with provisional GP IIb/IIIa inhibition has been validated as an alternative to heparin + routine GP IIb/IIIa inhibition for patients undergoing PCI. However, the cost-effectiveness of this novel strategy is unknown. Methods In the Randomized Evaluation in PCI Linking Angiomax to Reduced Clinical Events (REPLACE)-2 trial, 4,651 U.S. patients undergoing non-emergent PCI were randomized to receive bivalirudin with provisional GP IIb/IIIa (n = 2,319) versus heparin + routine GP IIb/IIIa (n = 2,332). Resource utilization data were collected prospectively through 30-day follow-up on all U.S. patients. Medical care costs were estimated using standard methods including bottom-up accounting (for procedural costs), the Medicare fee schedule (for physician services), hospital billing data (for 2,821 of 4,862 admissions), and regression-based approaches for the remaining hospitalizations. Results Among the bivalirudin group, 7.7% required provisional GP IIb/IIIa. Thirty-day ischemic outcomes including death or myocardial infarction were similar for the bivalirudin and GP IIb/IIIa groups, but bivalirudin resulted in lower rates of major bleeding (2.8% vs. 4.5%, p = 0.002) and minor bleeding (15.1% vs. 28.1%, p l 0.001). Compared with routine GP IIb/IIIa, in-hospital and 30-day costs were reduced by $405 (95% confidence interval [CI] $37 to $773) and $374 (95% CI $61 to $688) per patient with bivalirudin (p l 0.001 for both). Regression modeling demonstrated that, in addition to the costs of the anticoagulants themselves, hospital savings were due primarily to reductions in major bleeding (cost savings = $107/patient), minor bleeding ($52/patient), and thrombocytopenia ($47/patient). Conclusions Compared with heparin + routine GP IIb/IIIa inhibition, bivalirudin + provisional GP IIb/IIIa inhibition resulted in similar acute ischemic events and cost savings of $375 to $400/patient depending on the analytic perspective.

The reaction of 2,2‘-methylenebis(4-chloro-6-isopropyl-3-methylphenol) (MCIMP-H2) with 1.2 molar equiv of AlMe3 in THF yields [(MCIMP)AlMe(THF)] (1), which further reacts with a stoichiometric amount of 2-propanol (IPA), affording the isopropoxy-bridged dimer [(MCIMP)Al(μ-OiPr)]2 (2). Compound 2 can also be obtained by the treatment of MCIMP-H2 with a stoichiometric amount of Al(OiPr)3 in refluxing toluene. However, the reaction of 1 with another 1 equiv of AlMe3 in CH2Cl2 furnishes [Me2Al(μ-MCIMP)AlMe2(THF)] (3), in which the MCIMP2- ligand is acting as a bridging ligand. Further treatment of compound 3 with 2 molar equiv of 2-propanol results in the formation of the isopropoxy-bridged dinuclear aluminum complex [(MCIMP)Al(μ-OiPr)2AlMe2] (4). Compound 4 can be directly obtained from the reaction of 1 with AlMe3 in the presence of 2-propanol. However, in the presence of a stoichiometric amount of H2O, hydrolysis of 1 in THF gives the trimeric aluminum compound [(MCIMP)Al(μ-OH···THF)]3 (5), in which the hy...

Nursing education aims to help students understand concepts and gain competencies in holistic care. The purpose of this paper was to present a nursing curriculum that adapted and introduced holistic care into an adult nursing curriculum taught at a university of science and technology. The course framework included both holistic and nursing domains. The holistic aspect addressed client physical psychological-spiritual needs and related factors, health related factors, and the status of Maslow's hierarchy of needs and related factors. The nursing aspect addressed the way in which nursing was applied to identify client problems and provide individualized, integrated and continuous care in hospital, family or community based settings employing primary, secondary, or tertiary prevention. Scenario with problem based learning and concept mapping were used in class to guide students to consider in depth the concepts that underpin holistic care.

The purpose of this study was to compare the cost of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using bivalirudin with provisional platelet glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibition with that of heparin + routine GP IIb/IIIa inhibition.Although GP IIb/IIIa inhibition has been shown to reduce ischemic complications in a broad range of patients undergoing PCI, many patients currently do not receive such therapy because of concerns about bleeding complications or cost. Recently, bivalirudin with provisional GP IIb/IIIa inhibition has been validated as an alternative to heparin + routine GP IIb/IIIa inhibition for patients undergoing PCI. However, the cost-effectiveness of this novel strategy is unknown.In the Randomized Evaluation in PCI Linking Angiomax to Reduced Clinical Events (REPLACE)-2 trial, 4,651 U.S. patients undergoing non-emergent PCI were randomized to receive bivalirudin with provisional GP IIb/IIIa (n = 2,319) versus heparin + routine GP IIb/IIIa (n = 2,332). Resource utilization data were collected prospectively through 30-day follow-up on all U.S. patients. Medical care costs were estimated using standard methods including bottom-up accounting (for procedural costs), the Medicare fee schedule (for physician services), hospital billing data (for 2,821 of 4,862 admissions), and regression-based approaches for the remaining hospitalizations.Among the bivalirudin group, 7.7% required provisional GP IIb/IIIa. Thirty-day ischemic outcomes including death or myocardial infarction were similar for the bivalirudin and GP IIb/IIIa groups, but bivalirudin resulted in lower rates of major bleeding (2.8% vs. 4.5%, p = 0.002) and minor bleeding (15.1% vs. 28.1%, p0.001). Compared with routine GP IIb/IIIa, in-hospital and 30-day costs were reduced by $405 (95% confidence interval [CI] $37 to $773) and $374 (95% CI $61 to $688) per patient with bivalirudin (p0.001 for both). Regression modeling demonstrated that, in addition to the costs of the anticoagulants themselves, hospital savings were due primarily to reductions in major bleeding (cost savings = $107/patient), minor bleeding ($52/patient), and thrombocytopenia ($47/patient).Compared with heparin + routine GP IIb/IIIa inhibition, bivalirudin + provisional GP IIb/IIIa inhibition resulted in similar acute ischemic events and cost savings of $375 to $400/patient depending on the analytic perspective.