Table 3. Cost-effectiveness of strategies for managing FRIs of undetermined etiology*.
| Available public health strategies | Monthly total |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Costs ($ billion)† | QALY gained | Incremental cost-effectiveness (cost per QALY gained) | |
| Home isolation | 2.13 | 0 | – |
| Influenza testing |
2.14 |
5,286 |
$1,702 |
| Home isolation | 2.13 | 0 | – |
| Influenza testing | 2.14 | 5,286 | Dominated |
| Multiplex RT-PCR testing‡ |
2.05 |
8,474 |
Savings |
| Home isolation | 2.13 | 0 | – |
| SARS + influenza testing | 2.19 | 5,280 | Dominated |
| Influenza testing | 2.14 | 5,286 | Dominated |
| SARS + multiplex RT-PCR testing‡ | 2.14 | 8,429 | Dominated |
| Multiplex RT-PCR testing‡ | 2.05 | 8,474 | Savings |
*FRI, febrile respiratory illness; QALY, quality-adjusted life-year; RT-PCR, reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction; –, reference category. †Shown in 2004 U.S. dollars rounded to the nearest 10 million. ‡Multiplex RT-PCR testing to detect influenza viruses A and B, respiratory syncytial viruses A and B, parainfluenza viruses 1–3, human metapneumovirus, Bordetella pertussis, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Legionella pneumophila, and L. micdadei.