Pharmakoökonomie: Open Access

Cost Comparison of Reusable and Single-Use Bronchoscopes in a Scottish Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Rasmus Vinther Russell*, MJG Dunn

Background: Bronchoscopy procedures are conventionally associated with complex supporting processes, large capital investments and inevitable repairs. Cost-comparison analysis with the single-use bronchoscope Ambu® aScope™4 Broncho within a UK intensive care unit have never been done before.

Materials and Methods: We conducted a cost-comparison analysis of reusable vs single-use bronchoscopes within the intensive care unit of the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh via a micro-costing method.

Results: At the current split between reusable and single-use bronchoscopes, the incremental cost of using single-use vs. reusable bronchoscopes was £111. In a binary setup with either reusable or single-use bronchoscopes, the incremental procedure cost was£90. Singleuse bronchoscopes were cost-minimising up to 75 annual procedures per reusable bronchoscope. When including a 0.72% and 2.8% risk of cross-infection the incremental cost of was £159 and £352.

Conclusion: Single-use is cost-effective compared with reusable bronchoscopes within the ICU setting.