The costs of a suburban paramedic program in reducing deaths due to cardiac arrest

The marginal costs per averted death of a suburban paramedic program are estimated to be approximately $42,000, when program costs are attributed entirely to cardiac arrest cases due to underlying heart disease, and indirect costs attributable to episode-related hospitalization are included, It is suggested that at $42,000 per cardiac arrest death averted the program is cost-beneficial by two criteria. First, it compares favorably with an estimate obtained from the literature of the value to the average individual of saving the life of a myocardial infarction patient. Second, the people of King County passed a cost-commensurate Paramedic Program Property Tax Levy in 1979, revealing their willingness to support the program. Results of the study should be generalized in accordance with the facts that in King County 1) the population density averages approximately 1,300 per square mile; 2) a basic emergency medical system ensures a 4-minute average response time to initiation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation; 3) a citizen-training program in cardiopulmonary resuscitation further reduces average time to initiation of basic life support; and 4) the paramedic program is designed to ensure a 10-minute average time to definitive care.