CRITICAL APPRAISAL 1

This is the first of what I hope to be many critical appraisals of important papers relating to cardiac surgical topics. The paper was published in JAMA and looks at the relationship between elevation of cardiac enzymes and early and late prognosis. I have used the critical appraisal meta analysis form used in the Best Bets website.  The paper is excellent. My only criticism of the paper is that cardiac enzyme elevations should be regarded as an outcome and a paradigm for survival. The results of the appraisal are published here.