How cost-effective are defibrillator implants?
The Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial showed that patients at risk for fatal cardiac arrhythmias treated with implanted defibrillators had 50% to 60% fewer deaths than patients treated conventionally. But a study of the cost-effectiveness of defibrillators showed that their impact went beyond survival.1 Utilization of healthcare services hospitalizations, physician visits, meds, procedures, and lab tests increased with defibrillated patients, costing $31,000 per life year saved. The estimated incremental cost effectiveness ratio could be reduced to $22,000 when less invasive transvenous defibrillators are employed. For patients resuscitated after early, out-of-hospital defib by paramedics, as little as one minute can affect survival rates.
Reference
1. White RD, Asplin BR, Bugliosi TF, et al. Ann Emerg Med 1996; 28:480-485.
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