Cost-effectiveness in patients awaiting transplantation receiving intravenous inotropic support

Cost-effectiveness, assessed in terms of cost/survivor and cost/additional day of survival, has been evaluated in two groups of patients awaiting cardiac transplantation: in six treated by mechanical support (mechanical bridge) and in 31 treated successfully by the addition of intravenous enoximone to previous existing inotropic support (pharmacological bridge). The mean cost per patient was $45,843, ranging from $38,326 in patients receiving pharmacological support to $84,683 in patients receiving mechanical support. The cost per patient transplanted after pharmacological support was $50,745. The mean cost per survivor at 1 year was $210,000 for all patients, ranging from $192,455 with pharmacological support to $254,000 with mechanical support. At 1 month, the cost per additional day of survival was higher (by 228%) in the mechanical support group than in the pharmacological support group.