Be. Rittenhouse et al., An economic evaluation of levofloxacin versus cefuroxime axetil in the outpatient treatment of adults with community-acquired pneumonia, AM J M CARE, 6(3), 2000, pp. 381-389
Citations number
31
Categorie Soggetti
Public Health & Health Care Science","Health Care Sciences & Services
Objective: To examine treatment costs of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP)
in adult outpatients given oral (po) levofloxacin or cefuroxime axetil as
initial therapy.
Study Design: Patients with a primary diagnosis of CAP were enrolled in a m
ulticenter, prospective, randomized, open-label, active-controlled Phase II
I clinical trial. both inpatients and outpatients were assigned to 1 of 2 t
reatment groups: (1) intravenous (IV) or po levofloxacin; or (2) IV ceftria
xone and/or po cefuroxime axetil,
Methods: To make legitimate and meaningful cost comparisons between similar
types of patients receiving drugs via the same route of administration (ie
, orally), this outpatient economic study examined the resource utilization
of the 211 patients enrolled as outpatients who received oral formulations
as initial treatment (levofloxacin, 103 patients; cefuroxime axetil, 108 p
atients). Resource utilization data and clinical trial data were collected
concurrently, To generate cost estimates, Medicare cost estimates for resou
rces were multiplied by the resource units used by patients in each treatme
nt arm.
Results: Cost estimates indicated a total cost difference that favored the
levofloxacin group (base case: $169; sensitivity analysis: $223 [P = .008])
, The results for the base case were not significant (P = .094), In additio
n, within the cost categories, there was a statistically significant study
drug cost differential favoring levofloxacin ($86; P = .0001 for both the b
ase case and sensitivity analysis).
Conclusion: Oral levofloxacin is less costly than oral cefuroxime axetil in
the outpatient treatment of adults with CAP.