Bergemann R, Lauterbach KW, Vanscheidt W, Neander KD, Engst R, et al.
PharmacoEconomics. Date of publication 1999 Oct 1;volume 16(4):367-77.
1. Pharmacoeconomics. 1999 Oct;16(4):367-77.
Economic evaluation of the treatment of chronic wounds: hydroactive wound
dressings in combination with enzymatic ointment versus gauze dressings in
patients with pressure ulcer and venous leg ulcer in Germany.
Bergemann R(1), Lauterbach KW, Vanscheidt W, Neander KD, Engst R.
Author information:
(1)Institute for Medical Outcome Research, Loerrach, Germany.
rito.bergemann@imor.de
OBJECTIVE: The treatment costs for pressure ulcers and venous leg ulcers were
estimated based on the hospital administrator's perspective in Germany.
DESIGN: A spreadsheet model using input data from various hospitals in Germany
was developed.
INTERVENTIONS: Five currently used treatment strategies were analysed: gauze,
impregnated gauze, calcium alginate and hydroactive wound dressing with enzymatic
ointment.
PARTICIPANTS: All cases used for and in the analysis were treated in the
inpatient setting (4 hospitals and 120 patients were included).
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES AND RESULTS: The outcome distributions were calculated
using the Monte Carlo method. For the whole treatment process, the attributable
costs for the hospital were calculated for different cases (severity) and all
treatment strategies (1997 values). The costs for treatment with gauze were the
highest, whereas the costs for treatment with hydroactive wound dressings and
enzymatic ointment were the lowest. The relation between personnel and material
costs for gauze is approximately 95 to 5% and for hydroactive wound dressings 67
to 33%, respectively. The cost savings per case were between 1196 deutschmark
(DM) and DM9826 using hydroactive wound dressings instead of gauze dressings
(depending on the severity of the pressure ulcer), and between DM135 and DM677
for venous leg ulcers. The results were robust and did not change in any
performed sensitivity analysis (parameter: 'personnel costs per minute', 'time
required for changing a wound dressing', 'total number of wound dressing
changes').
CONCLUSIONS: Despite the higher material costs of the hydroactive wound dressings
in combination with enzymatic wound cleaning compared with other wound dressings,
they should be recommended for the treatment of pressure ulcers and venous leg
ulcers. This therapy alternative brings about significant reductions in total
costs for hospitals because of significant reductions in personnel costs and the
duration of treatment.
PMID: 10623365 [Indexed for MEDLINE]
