[Comparative study of the cost-/effectiveness relationship of initial therapy with imipenem/cilastatin in nosocomial pneumonia. Group study].
OBJECTIVE
The present study assessed the total cost involved in the therapy of nosocomial pneumonia. Cost for patients receiving Imipenem as initial antibiotic therapy was compared with that for patients treated by selected alternative regimens. Secondary objectives included the evaluation of fever days, days of antibiotic therapy, days at ICU and days of overall hospitalisation required for the treatment of the nosocomial pneumonia for both methods of treatment.


METHODS
A prospective randomised open study involving multiple study sites was conducted. Total cost, efficacy and safety of an initial therapy with Imipenem were compared to results achieved with selected other antibiotic regimens. Altogether 109 patients were enrolled into the study; 85 patients could be assessed.


RESULTS
Both treatment methods showed equal clinical efficacy. Total cost of the therapy of nosocomial pneumonia for all patients was in the range between 1,616 DM and 82,141 DM, the arithmetic mean was calculated to be 11,307 DM and the median was found to be 6,507 DM. Imipenem-treated patients incurred lower cost (median 5,649 DM, mean 10,009 DM) than patients treated with other antibiotics (median 9,334 DM, mean 12,701 DM).


CONCLUSIONS
The total cost of treatment of nosocomial pneumonia was lower for Imipenem-treated patients than for patients receiving initially other selected antibiotic regimens. The savings are apparently due to a faster recovery of the patients resulting in reduced duration of therapy. The study shows that assessment of cost of therapy per day might be misleading in the economic analysis of antimicrobial chemotherapy.
Rodloff
A C
AC
Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Infektionsepidemiologie der Universität Leipzig.
Laubenthal
H J
HJ
Bastian
A
A
Bestehorn
K
K
Büchele
G
G
Gaus
W
W
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015377:Cilastatin / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003422:Critical Care / Q000191:economics; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015378:Imipenem / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics*; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013845:Thienamycins / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D013845:Thienamycins; D015377:Cilastatin; D015378:Imipenem
Vergleichende Untersuchung zum Kosten-/Effektivitäts-Verhältnis einer initialen Therapie mit Imipenem/Cilastatin bei der nosokomialen Pneumonie. Studiengruppe.