Table 2.
Calculation of Costs Associated with Sedation with Dexmedetomidine and Midazolam
| Cost Element | Dexmedetomidine | Midazolam |
|---|---|---|
| Administration of sedative | ||
| Cost of medication | $0.3145/μg | $0.3714/mg |
| Hourly dose | 0.83 μg/kg | 0.056 mg/kg |
| Mean body weight per patient | 88 kg | 88 kg |
| Mean duration of administration | 3.5 days | 4.1 days |
| Per-patient cost of treatment | $1929.57 | $180.10 |
| Open-label treatment with midazolam | ||
| Cost of medication (midazolam) | $0.3714/mg | $0.3714/mg |
| Dose administered | 0.09 mg/kg | 0.11 mg/kg |
| Mean body weight per patient | 88 kg | 88 kg |
| Proportion of patients requiring additional therapy | 63% | 49% |
| Mean per-patient cost of additional therapy | $1.85 | $1.76 |
| Mechanical ventilation | ||
| Daily Canadian cost of ICU care* | $1965/day | $1965/day |
| Adjustment to 2010 dollars† | $2490/day | $2490/day |
| Proportion of ICU cost for mechanical ventilation9 | 31.9% | 31.9% |
| Daily cost for mechanical ventilation | $794/day | $794/day |
| Duration of mechanical ventilation | 3.7 days | 5.6 days |
| Mean per-patient cost of mechanical ventilation | $2 939 | $4 448 |
| Delirium episodes | ||
| Daily Canadian cost of ICU care (2010 dollars) | $2490 | $2490 |
| Mean length of ICU stay‡ | 6.75 days | 6.75 days |
| Total cost of ICU stay | $16 808 | $16 808 |
| % of ICU cost associated with delirium§ | 23.4% | 23.4% |
| Cost associated with delirium | $3933 | $3933 |
| Proportion of patients experiencing delirium | 54.1% | 76.6% |
| Mean per-patient cost associated with delirium | $2127 | $3 012 |
| Hypertension episodes requiring intervention | ||
| Professional fee | $130 | $130 |
| Proportion of patients with hypertension requiring intervention | 18.9% | 29.5% |
| Mean per-patient cost associated with hypertension | $24.57 | $38.35 |
ICU = intensive care unit.
*
Based on St Paul’s Hospital Cost Model (1997).16
†
Conversion from 1997 to 2010, based on consumer price index for health care20 (2010/1997 = 115.3/91 = 1.267).
‡
Mean length of stay in the ICU was not statistically different between the 2 groups (see Table 2). Therefore, the average of the group means was used as a conservative estimate of overall mean length of stay in the ICU.