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[Dolasetron and shivering. A prospective randomized placebo-controlled pharmaco-economic evaluation]
1Abteilung 1 für Anästhesie und Intensivmedizin, Zentralkrankenhaus, Lorenz-Böhler-Strasse 5, 39100 Bozen. matthias.bock@asbz.it
Der Anaesthesist
|October 6, 2006
Summary
Dolasetron effectively prevents postoperative shivering, reducing hospital stays and personnel costs. This improves patient comfort and medical quality, offsetting increased drug expenses.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine
- Pharmacoeconomics
- Surgical Patient Care
Context:
- German hospitals face economic pressures, necessitating cost-effective clinical practices.
- Maintaining or improving medical quality is crucial when implementing new therapeutic strategies.
- Postoperative shivering negatively impacts patient comfort and surgical outcomes.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of dolasetron for preventing postoperative shivering.
- To assess the impact of dolasetron on shivering incidence, postanesthesia care unit (PACU) length of stay, and associated costs.
- To analyze the influence of dolasetron on perioperative thermoregulation.
Summary:
- A randomized, placebo-controlled trial involving 40 patients undergoing surgery found that dolasetron significantly reduced shivering incidence (5 vs. 15 patients).
- Patients receiving dolasetron had a shorter PACU stay (43±16 min vs. 62±18 min) and lower personnel costs (EUR 41.26±14 vs. EUR 53.15±15).
- While material costs increased with dolasetron (EUR 17.16±3 vs. EUR 0.73±1), the overall clinical process optimization and quality improvement were deemed beneficial.
Impact:
- Dolasetron prophylaxis for shivering offers a cost-effective solution by reducing PACU length of stay and personnel expenses.
- Improved patient comfort and medical quality resulting from shivering prevention justify the increased pharmaceutical expenditure.
- This study provides evidence for optimizing clinical pathways in surgical settings to enhance both efficiency and patient care.
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