COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF THE COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF INITIAL THERAPY WITH IMIPENEM CILASTATIN IN SECONDARY PERITONITIS/

The total costs of the hospital treatment of patients with secondary p eritonitis were investigated with a prospective, randomized, multicent er study. Moreover, the cost- effectiveness of an initial therapy with Imipenem/Cilastatin was compared to selected alternative antibiotic r egimens. Altogether 154 patients (77 Imipenem/Cilastatin group, 77 alt ernative group) that displayed Mannheim Peritonitis Scores between 16 and 26 (average 20.8) were analyzed. The average total cost of treatme nt was DM 11 140 per patient (range DM 2794-45 526). Patients receivin g an initial therapy with Imipenem/Cilastatin incurred average costs o f DM 10 455, while patients with alternative regimens caused average c osts of DM 11 826. The difference between the two treatment groups was statistically significant (P = 0.037).