title: Costs and benefits of low-osmolality contrast agents in radiology.
abstract: We have examined the costs and benefits associated with the introduction of low-osmolality contrast agents into general radiology. The result is a cost of $2,000,000 to save a life and $100,000 to save a year-of-life if it is assumed that these agents are ten times safer than conventional contrast agents in terms of fatality rates. These values are comparable to the costs of saving a life, and a year-of-life, associated with radiation protection practice, but appear to be over an order of magnitude higher than the corresponding costs in contexts such as mammography screening programs. Cost-benefit analysis provides a useful insight into medical decision making when available resources are limited. It raises the important question of whether society at large is allocating sufficient resources to health care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg.
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Sutherland
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huda
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000009:adverse effects; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008327:Mammography / Q000191:economics; D008875:Middle Aged; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000191:economics; D011859:Radiography / Q000191:economics*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media