title: Decision analysis modelling of costs and outcomes following cefepime monotherapy in Canada.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the comparative cost of treatment and intermediate outcomes (percentage resistant organisms, days in hospital, etc) among cefepime and alternative parenteral antibiotics used for empiric monotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Decision analysis model, based on published literature, clinical trial results and information from infectious disease clinicians.
  
  
  METHODS
  A Canadian tertiary care hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Comparison of cefepime, ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, cefotaxime and ciprofloxacin in the treatment of lower respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, skin/soft tissue infections, septicemia and febrile neutropenia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cefepime treatment results in the lowest average cost per patient when used as initial empiric therapy for lower respiratory tract infections and for skin/soft tissue infections. Cefepime therapy is among the lowest cost treatments for the other infectious disease conditions and has the lowest cost for a weighted 'average' condition. Sensitivity analysis indicates that model results are most sensitive to duration of hospitalization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Initial empiric monotherapy with cefepime for serious infectious disease conditions may result in cost savings compared with alternative parenteral agents.
authors.affiliation: MEDTAP International, Bethesda, Maryland; Bristol-Myers Squibb, Montreal, Quebec; and Division of Infectious Diseases, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Halpern
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Drolet
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Sorensen
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Mandell