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Background: In Norway, liver transplantation has been the treatment of choice for irreversible acute and chronic liver failure for 25 years. The aim of this article is to present a summary of the results obtained., Material and Methods: All liver transplants performed in Norway in the period 25.02.84-31.12.08 have been reviewed retrospectively with respect to patient and donor epidemiology, survival and recurrence., Results: 651 transplants have been performed in this period. The annual number of transplants increased gradually up to the year 2000 (31), and more steeply afterwards - to 79 in 2008. Also the number of organ donations has increased and reached 98 (20 pr. million inh.) in 2008. 5-year patient survival was 53 % in the period 1984-1994. In the period 2001-2008, 1-year survival was 90 % and 5-year survival was 83 %., Interpretation: The gradual improvement of results should be interpreted in light of improvements within transplant surgery, medicine and anaesthesiology and the increased local experience due to the increasing number of transplants performed. The transplant centre at Rikshospitalet has developed into being among the largest of its kind within the Nordic Countries and the results compare well with the best international data.

Background: Xigris (recombinant human activated protein C) has recently been introduced as a treatment for severe sepsis following a large multicentre trial (the PROWESS trial)., Material and Methods: Critical review of the original paper, follow-up studies and commentaries, and subgroup analyses from the US Food and Drug Administration., Results: Changes in trial design after the start of the trial as well as inconsistent results in two phases of the trial make interpretation difficult. The overall trial results indicate a small benefit from treatment with activated protein C. However, subgroup analysis reveals that several groups of patients appeared to have little benefit. The drug may have severe and potentially lethal side effects in some patients., Interpretation: Although activated protein C may have beneficial effects in some patients with severe sepsis, the effect on different subgroups of patients remains to be clarified. We conclude that there is at present insufficient documentation for a recommendation of activated protein C in patients with severe sepsis.

We present the results of an acute revascularisation program for unstable angina. Of the 63 consecutive patients included in the program 61 had significant coronary artery disease. Coronary bypass grafting was performed in 39 and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in 9. There were two perioperative myocardial infarctions and one death in hospital. 13 patients were found unsuitable for revascularisation. At follow-up (14-26 months) 60 patients were still alive (95%). In the revascularised group 30 patients (65%) were free of angina pectoris. Accordingly, in patients who do not respond to medical therapy, acute revascularisation may be performed with low operative mortality, low incidence of perioperative myocardial infarctions, and good long term results.