The cost-utility of early use of high-flow nasal cannula in bronchiolitis

Journal article

Abstract Background High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen is a non-invasive ventilation system that was introduced as an alternative to CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure), with a marked increase in its use in pediatric care settings. This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of early use of HFNC compared to oxygen by nasal cannula in an infant with bronchiolitis in the emergency setting. Methods A decision tree model was used to estimate the cost-effectiveness of HFNC compared with oxygen by nasal cannula (control strategy) in an infant with bronchiolitis in the emergency setting. Cost data were obtained from a retrospective study on bronchiolitis from tertiary centers in Rionegro, Colombia, while utilities were collected from the literature. Results The QALYs per patient calculated in the base-case model were 0.9141 (95% CI 0.913–0.915) in the HFNC and 0.9105 (95% CI 0.910–0.911) in control group. The cost per patient was US$368 (95% CI US$ 323–411) in HFNC and US$441 (95% CI US$ 384–498) per patient in the control group. Conclusions HFNC was cost-effective HFNC compared to oxygen by nasal cannula in an infant with bronchiolitis in the emergency setting. The use of this technology in emergency settings will allow a more efficient use of resources, especially in low-resource countries with high prevalence of bronchiolitis .

Authors: Buendía, JA; Acuña-Cordero, R; Rodriguez-Martinez, CE

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: SpringerOpen
• Journal: Health Economics Review
• Volume: 11
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 41-41
• Article number: 41
• Publication date: 2021-10-28
• DOI: 10.1186/s13561-021-00339-7
• EISSN: 2191-1991
• ISSN: 2191-1991
• Language: English
• Keywords: Surgery; Continuous positive airway pressure; Respiratory system; Nasal cannula; Cannula; Bronchiolitis; Intensive care medicine; Internal medicine; Emergency medicine; Medicine; Anesthesia