D. Loisance et Jc. Sailly, COST-EFFECTIVENESS IN PATIENTS AWAITING TRANSPLANTATION RECEIVING INTRAVENOUS INOTROPIC SUPPORT, European journal of anaesthesiology, 10, 1993, pp. 9-13
Cost-effectiveness, assessed in terms of cost/survivor and cost/additi
onal day of survival, has been evaluated in two groups of patients awa
iting cardiac transplantation: in six treated by mechanical support (m
echanical bridge) and in 31 treated successfully by the addition of in
travenous enoximone to previous existing inotropic support (pharmacolo
gical bridge). The mean cost per patient was $45 843, ranging from $38
326 in patients receiving pharmacological support to $84 683 in patie
nts receiving mechanical support. The cost per patient transplanted af
ter pharmacological support was $50 745. The mean cost per survivor at
1 year was $210 000 for all patients, ranging from $192 455 with phar
macological support to $254 000 with mechanical support. At 1 month, t
he cost per additional day of survival was higher (by 228%) in the mec
hanical support group than in the pharmacological support group.