Atrioventricular block cost-effectiveness of therapy

• Some patients who develop a high-degree atrioventricular blocks often require a placement of pacemakers.
• An evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of therapy is imperative to serve as a guide in decision-making.

• High-degree atrioventricular blocks often need the placement of pacemakers.
• while this medical device provide a good and reliable therapy, its implantation is not without serious harmful implications.
• A watchful waiting is a good strategy over an earlier surgery for a more cost-effective outcome.
• Even if watchful waiting entails a higher cost ($171,798 ± $45,695 p<0.0001) than an earlier surgery ($165,436 ± $52,923, p<0.0001), it was shown that it has a higher utility (9.05 ± 1.36 vs. 8.55 ± 1.33 QALYs, p<0.0001).
• Watchful waiting is shown to have an accumulative cost-effectiveness ratio of $12,724 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY). ^[1]

CME Category::Cardiology