Transthoracic echocardiography is not cost-effective in critically ill surgical patients.
BACKGROUND
Echocardiography has been shown to be valuable in critically ill surgical patients. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) often fails to provide adequate imaging in critically ill patients, necessitating subsequent transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). The objective of this study was to determine and quantify factors associated with failure of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in critically ill surgical patients, and to define a cost-effective strategy for echocardiography in these patients.


METHODS
Demographic and clinical data were collected retrospectively and evaluated to determine which factors were associated with failure of TTE to provide adequate imaging. In addition, models were developed to estimate costs for echocardiography in critically ill surgical patients.


RESULTS
TTE has a high failure rate in critically ill surgical patients. This failure rate increases significantly in patients who gain > 10% body weight from admission weight, who are supported with > or = 15 cm H(2)O positive end-expiratory pressure, and in those with chest tubes. As a result, the use of TTE in critically ill surgical patients is not cost-effective. TEE, however, is highly effective in this group of patients, and is more cost-effective than TTE in evaluating those critically ill surgical patients requiring echocardiography.


CONCLUSIONS
The routine use of TTE to initially evaluate all critically ill surgical patients who require echocardiography should be abandoned because it is not cost-effective. TEE appears to be the most cost-effective echocardiographic modality in the surgical intensive care unit.
Cook
Charles H
CH
Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA. cook.131@osu.edu
Praba
Anant C
AC
Beery
Paul R
PR
Martin
Larry C
LC
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003422:Critical Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods*; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods*; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000191:economics; D005260:Female; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000191:economics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009820:Ohio; D019990:Perioperative Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical / Q000191:economics*; D016896:Treatment Outcome