Comparative clinical effectiveness of prophylactic voriconazole/posaconazole to fluconazole/itraconazole in patients with acute myeloid leukemia/myelodysplastic syndrome undergoing cytotoxic chemotherapy over a 12-year period.

Post-induction aplasia for acute myeloid leukemia/myelodysplastic syndrome is a high-risk period for invasive fungal diseases. The effectiveness of fluconazole, itraconazole solution, voriconazole and posaconazole prophylaxis used consecutively from December 1998 to January 2010 in patients with acute myeloid leukemia/myelodysplastic syndrome undergoing remission-induction chemotherapy was retrospectively evaluated. A total of 216 consecutive patients received 573 prophylaxis courses. Breakthrough-invasive fungal disease incidence in fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole recipients was 25%, 16%, 14% and 3%, respectively. Voriconazole/posconazole versus fluconazole/itraconazole combined was associated with significant reductions in breakthrough-invasive fungal disease incidence (20% vs. 8%, P=0.011), premature discontinuations (46% vs. 22% P<0.001) and empiric antifungal treatment (31% vs. 8.5%, P<0.001). Microbiologically confirmed infections were molds. Posaconazole compared to other drugs was associated with fewer courses requiring computed-tomography (43% vs. 26%, P<0.001). Adoption of voriconazole/posaconazole has decreased invasive fungal disease incidence, empiric antifungal treatment and for posaconazole, computed-tomography demand, with effectiveness of posaconazole comparable to clinical trial experience.

Pre-hospital trauma training in the Falkland Islands.

This article explores the development of a new model of trauma training for nursing and other emergency staff in the Falkland Islands, an isolated group of islands in the South Atlantic. The training has been successfully implemented and continues to provide staff with tailored training in emergency trauma care.

Comparative effectiveness of radial probe endobronchial ultrasound versus CT-guided needle biopsy for evaluation of peripheral pulmonary lesions: a randomized pragmatic trial.

In many patients the optimal method of investigation of peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPL) is not clear. We performed a prospective randomized pragmatic trial to determine the comparative effectiveness of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial lung biopsy (EBUS-TBLB) and CT-guided percutaneous needle biopsy (CT-PNB) for the investigation of PPL. Overall complication rates were higher in those undergoing CT-PNB (27% v 3%, p = 0.03), while diagnostic accuracy of EBUS-TBLB was shown to be non-inferior to that of CT-PNB. Expected diagnostic accuracy and complication rates are likely to differ for individual patients on the basis of specific complex clinicoradiologic factors, which will influence the cost-benefit analysis between EBUS-TBLB and CT-PNB for individual patients. Further studies are required to examine the effect of these factors on clinical decision-making.

Lobar and segmental liver atrophy associated with hilar cholangiocarcinoma and the impact of hilar biliary anatomical variants: a pictorial essay.

The radiological features of lobar and segmental liver atrophy and compensatory hypertrophy associated with biliary obstruction are important to recognise for diagnostic and therapeutic reasons. Atrophied lobes/segments reduce in volume and usually contain crowded dilated bile ducts extending close to the liver surface. There is often a "step" in the liver contour between the atrophied and non-atrophied parts. Hypertrophied right lobe or segments enlarge and show a prominently convex or "bulbous" visceral surface. The atrophied liver parenchyma may show lower attenuation on pre-contrast computed tomography (CT) and CT intravenous cholangiography (CT-IVC) and lower signal intensity on T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Hilar biliary anatomical variants can have an impact on the patterns of lobar/segmental atrophy, as the cause of obstruction (e.g. cholangiocarcinoma) often commences in one branch, leading to atrophy in that drainage region before progressing to complete biliary obstruction and jaundice. Such variants are common and can result in unusual but explainable patterns of atrophy and hypertrophy. Examples of changes seen with and without hilar variants are presented that illustrate the radiological features of atrophy/hypertrophy.

Accuracy of computed tomographic intravenous cholangiography (CT-IVC) with iotroxate in the detection of choledocholithiasis.

To determine the accuracy of computed tomographic intravenous cholangiography (CT-IVC) for detection of choledocholithiasis. Sixty-five patients undergoing endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) underwent CT-IVC prior to ERC, using a single detector helical CT following intravenous infusion of 100 ml iotroxate. Patients with bilirubin levels >3 times normal were excluded. ERC was indeterminate in three patients (4.7%) and CT-IVC in four (6.3%). Twenty-three patients had ductal calculi at ERC, and CT-IVC was positive in 22, with two false positives and one false negative: sensitivity 95.6%, specificity 94.3%. Stones were multiple in nine and solitary in 14. Of the 14 solitary stones, ten were