Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

N D Palmer

Publications and source records attributed to N D Palmer.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Cost effectiveness of drug eluting coronary artery stenting in a UK setting: cost-utility study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the cost effectiveness of drug eluting stents (DES) compared with conventional stents for treatment of symptomatic coronary artery disease in the UK. DESIGN: Cost-utility analysis of audit based patient subgroups by means of a simple economic model. SETTING: Tertiary care. PARTICIPANTS: 12 month audit data for 2884 patients receiving percutaneous coronary intervention with stenting at the Cardiothoracic Centre Liverpool between January 2000 and December 2002. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Risk of repeat revascularisation within 12 months of index procedure and reduction in risk from use of DES. Economic modelling was used to estimate the cost-utility ratio and threshold price premium. RESULTS: Four factors were identified for patients undergoing elective surgery (n = 1951) and two for non-elective surgery (n = 933) to predict risk of repeat revascularisation within 12 months. Most patients fell within the subgroup with lowest risk (57% of the elective surgery group with 5.6% risk and 91% of the non-elective surgery group with 9.9% risk). Modelled cost-utility ratios were acceptable for only one group of high risk patients undergoing non-elective surgery (only one patient in audit data). Restricting the number of DES for each patient improved results marginally: 4% of stents could then be drug eluting on economic grounds. The threshold price premium justifying 90% substitution of conventional stents was estimated to be 112 pound sterling (212 USD, 162 pound sterling) (sirolimus stents) or 89 pound sterling (167 USD, 130 pound sterling) (paclitaxel stents). CONCLUSIONS: At current UK prices, DES are not cost effective compared with conventional stents except for a small minority of patients. Although the technology is clearly effective, general substitution is not justified unless the price premium falls substantially.

Aged↗

Cause for concern?

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Effect of completeness of revascularization on clinical outcome in patients with multivessel disease presenting with unstable angina who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention.

We evaluated the current short- and medium-term outcomes of complete revascularization, compared to culprit lesion percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), in patients with multivessel coronary disease presenting with unstable angina. One hundred fifty-one patients with multivessel coronary disease presented to a tertiary cardiothoracic center with unstable angina/non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (UA/NSTEMI) between January 2000 and September 2001. In group A (n=71), the intended strategy was complete revascularization by multivessel PCI. In group B (n=80), culprit lesion PCI was intended despite the presence of other lesions amenable to PCI (B1) or due to confounding anatomical factors (B2). Clinical variables and endpoints were collected from patient notes, a dedicated database and telephone follow-up, and included recurrent stable and unstable angina, need for repeat PCI or elective coronary artery bypass graft, incidence of non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI) and death. Baseline characteristics were similar in each group. Procedural success was achieved in over 95% of cases in both groups with high stent implantation rates (>96%). There was no observed difference in mortality or incidence of MI between the groups. Compared to group A, more patients in group B1 had residual angina [22.8% (13/57) versus 9.9% (7/71); p=0.041] and required further PCI [17.5% (10/57) versus 7.0% (5/71); p=0.045]. There was a non-significant trend toward fewer readmissions for UA and less long-term antianginal medication in group A [38.0% (27/71) versus 52.6% (30/57); p=0.043]. Complete and culprit lesion revascularization by PCI are safe methods of treating patients with multivessel coronary disease presenting with UA/NSTEMI. Reductions in residual angina, repeat PCI and need for antianginal therapies suggest that complete revascularization should be the strategy of choice when possible.

Aged↗

Will coronary artery surgery disappear in 10 years' time?

Over the past 20 years, percutaneous coronary intervention has progressively developed and matured, and many patients with severe coronary artery disease can now be revascularized non-surgically. So are the days of coronary artery bypass graft surgery numbered?

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary↗

In-hospital resource utilization in coronary angioplasty: the impact of increased coronary stenting rates and antiplatelet therapy.

BACKGROUND: The technique of coronary stenting has evolved over recent years, with improved stent technology and effective antiplatelet therapies to prevent stent thrombosis. In Europe, reductions in stent and equipment costs have resulted from increased market competition. The impact of these changes on the in-hospital procedural cost of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the current clinical setting is not known. METHODS: We compared the initial equipment and pharmaceutical costs of one hundred consecutive, unselected patients undergoing PCI in 1998 to a similar population who underwent PCI in 1994. RESULTS: Similar patient characteristics were noted, yet more complex disease (multivessel, AHA type B2/C lesions) was treated in the 1998 population. The stent utilization rate (83% vs 15%, p < 0.0001) and use of intravenous and/or oral antiplatelet therapy (abciximab, ticlopidine) (64% vs 4%, p < 0.0001) was higher in 1998. Similar angiographic success was achieved in each group with low complication rates. Mean hospital stay was reduced in the 1998 group (2.6 +/- 2.8 vs 4.3 +/- 3.8 days, p < 0.001). Repeat PCI was required more frequently in the 1994 population (26% vs 9%, p < 0.001). Overall there was no significant difference in the mean equipment cost between the two groups ( pound 1551 vs pound 1422, p=ns). CONCLUSION: Despite the widespread use of coronary stenting and antiplatelet therapies there appears to be no difference in current in-hospital equipment costs for PCI compared to 1994. Improved clinical outcomes in the 1998 population imply that stenting is a cost-effective therapy.

Journal Article↗

In vitro analysis of coronary atheromatous lesions by intravascular ultrasound; reproducibility and histological correlation of lesion morphology.

AIM: To determine the reproducibility and histological correlation of qualitative intravascular ultrasound imaging of atheromatous coronary arteries using the recently proposed European Society of Cardiology classification of plaque composition in conditions approximating the clinical setting. METHODS: Atheromatous lesions (n=21), identified from 30 post-mortem human coronary arteries, were imaged using intravascular ultrasound in a pulsatile flow system which simulates coronary flow. Fifty sites (21 x minimum lumen area and 29 x distal reference sites) were selected independently by two observers from continuous video recordings. Atheromatous plaque was classified as echodense, echolucent, heterogeneous or calcified by each observer and by one observer on separate occasions. Arterial specimens were histologically sectioned at these sites and similarly analysed by a third observer blinded to the intravascular ultrasound appearances. RESULTS: Overall inter- and intra-observer reproducibility for plaque-type (Kappa 0.87[0.80-0.94] and 0.89[0. 85-0.93 respectively]) and focal calcification (0.78[0.74-0.82] and 0.88[0.84-0.92]) was high. Differences in site selection significantly influenced reproducibility particularly at reference sites. Agreement for overall plaque type between intravascular ultrasound and histology occurred in 89% of sites (Kappa 0.73[0.69-0. 77]). Specificity and positive predictive values for individual plaque types were greater than 90%. CONCLUSION: Using modern intravascular ultrasound technology in an in vitro system which approximates the clinical setting the proposed ESC classification of plaque composition by intravascular ultrasound is reproducible and correlates well with histology. It should therefore perform reliably in diagnostic intravascular ultrasound examinations and in the guidance of percutaneous coronary interventions.

Aged↗