2003 OPEN FORUM Abstracts
INHALED NITRIC COST IN A NEONATAL AND PEDIATRIC ICU POPULATION: IS YOUR BUDGET READY FOR IT?
Rachael Caleca, RRT, Paula Wood, RRT, Kenneth P. Bandy, BBA, RRT, Ronald E. Dechert, Dr. PH, RRT, Department of Critical Care Support Services, University Of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI
BACKGROUND. Previous researchers, including two large, randomized controlled trials, have demonstrated inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) therapy as being efficacious in reducing pulmonary hypertension and improving oxygenation in neonatal and pediatric ICU patient populations. To date, no studies have examined the institutional cost of this new therapy. The purpose of this study was to examine the institutional cost associated with the administration of iNO at a large, tertiary care center.
METHODS. The institutional cost of iNO was analyzed for all neonatal and pediatric patients who received this therapy at our institution over the period January 1, 2001-December 31, 2002. The institutional cost were those expenses submitted by the provider (INOTherapeutics, Inc), which were based upon the contractual payment agreement. A total of 199 patients received iNO during the two-year period.
RESULTS. The demographic, utilization and cost analyses for all patients are presented in Table 1. The information is stratified by user group, calendar year and aggregated for the entire patient cohort.
Table 1: Demographic, utilization and cost of iNO
| Neonatal | Congenital Heart | Med-Surg | Aggregate | |||||
| 2001 | 2002 | 2001 | 2002 | 2001 | 2002 | 2001 | 2002 | |
| Patients | 43 | 42 | 49 | 40 | 13 | 12 | 105 | 94 |
| Patient use (hrs) | 106 | 41 | 61 | 26 | 62 | 14 | 80 | 31 |
| Total use (hrs) | 4566 | 1705 | 2992 | 1051 | 805 | 172 | 8363 | 2930 |
| Patient cost ($) | 7214 | 4178 | 4146 | 2113 | 4578 | 1796 | 5456 | 2995 |
| Total cost (Thousand $) | $310 | $175 | $203 | $85 | $60 | $22 | $573 | $282 |
CONCLUSIONS. Inhaled nitric oxide represents a significant cost to our institution. To date, no reimbursement from third-party payers has been realized. As such, further cost-benefit analysis and efforts to control utilization are warranted. Our efforts to control these cost (through protocolized utilization) have successfully decreased cost and duration per case.