Outcome assessment following total hip replacement.

Outcome assessment after hip anthroplasty is relevant both to in-depth research of specific procedures and to monitoring standards of practice. Instruments of outcome assessment should be fast, easy to use, reliable, specific to the question being asked, cost-effective, and applicable. Increasing evidence exists that patient-based outcome measures are more reliable than those based on clinicians' scores. This article reviews the types of instruments that are available and offers guidance about the outcome measures that are most approprate for orthopedic surgeons.

Can polyclonal intravenous immunoglobulin limit cytokine mediated cerebral damage and chronic lung disease in preterm infants?

Recent evidence suggests that inflammatory cytokines may play an important role in cerebral and pulmonary injury, especially in preterm infants. Immunomodulatory agents may help to limit such injury by reducing inflammation. Immunoglobulin has multiple anti-inflammatory properties and can modulate the inflammatory cytokine response. New evidence is required to test the hypotheses that prophylaxis or treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin may limit such inflammatory damage.