Costs optimization in anaesthesia

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Health Economics

Background:

• Anesthesia technique selection impacts healthcare costs.
• Understanding direct costs is crucial for hospital resource management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze and compare the direct costs of various anesthetic techniques within a hospital setting.
• To benchmark local costs against literature data.

Main Methods:

• Calculated direct costs for inhalational anesthesia (sevoflurane, desflurane), total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) with propofol/remifentanil, and balanced anesthesia.
• Assessed costs for general anesthesia, spinal anesthesia, and sciatic-femoral nerve block for common plastic surgery procedures.
• Utilized data from Parma's General Hospital Pharmacy Service for an ASA1, 70kg hypothetical patient.

Main Results:

• Inhalational anesthesia costs decrease with fresh gas flow below 1L/min; desflurane is more expensive than sevoflurane.
• TIVA costs are comparable to sevoflurane-based balanced anesthesia for procedures exceeding five hours.
• Spinal anesthesia demonstrated lower direct costs compared to general anesthesia and sciatic-femoral nerve block for specific surgical procedures.

Conclusions:

• Optimizing fresh gas flow can reduce inhalational anesthesia expenses.
• Spinal anesthesia presents a cost-effective alternative for certain plastic surgeries.
• Cost analysis of anesthetic techniques aids in efficient resource allocation.