Cost-effectiveness of cimetidine maintenance therapy in chronic gastric and duodenal ulcer.
The effects of cimetidine maintenance therapy on the socioeconomic life of patients with peptic ulcers in the 3 years after healing and the extent to which treatment was cost-effective were studied. Three hundred eleven patients with healed ulcers (184 gastric, 127 duodenal) were studied for periods of up to 3 years; 261 patients (152 gastric ulcer, 109 duodenal ulcer) completed the 3-year follow-up. Cimetidine (400 mg at night) was compared with placebo in a double-blind, randomized prospective study. Intention-to-treat analysis was used. In the placebo group, the major costs of ulcer disease in gastric ulcer patients were attributable to endoscopic procedures and absenteeism; in duodenal ulcer patients, the major costs were endoscopic procedures, absenteeism, and surgery. Cimetidine was cost-effective in both gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer patients in the first 2 years after healing. Over the 3-year period it was also cost-effective, but no benefit was seen in the third year.
Pym
B
B
Department of Medicine, University of Sydney, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
Sandstad
J
J
Seville
P
P
Byth
K
K
Middleton
W R
WR
Talley
N J
NJ
Piper
D W
DW
D000041:Absenteeism; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D002927:Cimetidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003710:Demography; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000191:economics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics; D013997:Time Factors
D002927:Cimetidine