Table 6.

Average Cost and Utility of 28 Strategies for Initial Evaluation of Vaginitis Symptoms

Strategy*	Average Cost ($)	Mean Symptom Days	Incremental Cost†($)	Incremental Symptom Days‡	Incremental Cost-Effectiveness $/Symptom Day Avoided§
YSBTp	330	7.30
YBTp	335	7.59	5	0.29	Dominated
YSBT	337	7.30	8	0.01	Dominated
YBT	338	7.59	9	0.29	Dominated
YTp	351	7.87	22	0.57	Dominated
YT	353	7.87	24	0.57	Dominated
YBp	354	7.92	24	0.62	Dominated
YB	354	7.92	25	0.62	Dominated
YSBp	358	7.68	29	0.38	Dominated
YSp	370	7.96	41	0.66	Dominated
Y	372	8.20	42	0.90	Dominated
YSB	372	7.70	42	0.40	Dominated
Yp	373	8.20	43	0.90	Dominated
BT	374	8.19	44	0.89	Dominated
BTp	374	8.19	45	0.89	Dominated
YS	382	7.98	53	0.68	Dominated
SBTp	385	7.97	56	0.67	Dominated
SBT	386	7.97	57	0.67	Dominated
T	392	8.47	62	1.17	Dominated
Tp	393	8.47	63	1.17	Dominated
B	395	8.53	66	1.23	Dominated
Bp	396	8.53	67	1.23	Dominated
SB	397	8.31	67	1.01	Dominated
STp	397	8.25	67	0.95	Dominated
ST	397	8.25	67	0.95	Dominated
SBp	397	8.31	67	1.01	Dominated
S	410	8.58	80	1.28	Dominated
Sp	411	8.58	81	1.28	Dominated

^*Y, vaginal culture for Candida species; S, sexually transmitted disease testing including probes for Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia; B, Gram stain for bacterial vaginosis T, vaginal culture for Trichomonas vaginalis; p, vaginal pH testing.

^†Incremental costs represent the difference between the strategy and the next best nondominated strategy.

^‡Incremental symptom days represents the difference between the strategy and the next best nondominated strategy.

^§The difference in cost divided by the difference in quality-adjusted life expectancy for each strategy compared with the next best nondominated strategy.

A dominated strategy costs more and is less effective than another available strategy.