Potential for Cost Saving with Iclaprim Owing to Avoidance of Vancomycin-Associated Acute Kidney Injury in Hospitalized Patients with Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infections.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Vancomycin is the most prescribed antibiotic for hospitalized adults with skin and skin structure infections. Vancomycin is associated with acute kidney injury. Iclaprim is an antibiotic under development for the treatment of patients with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections and is not associated with acute kidney injury. This economic model sought to determine the potential cost saving with iclaprim owing to avoidance of vancomycin-associated acute kidney injury among hospitalized patients with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A hospital cost-minimization model was developed to estimate the overall cost impact of replacing empiric vancomycin with iclaprim among hospitalized adult patients with skin and skin structure infections. The structural model included: vancomycin acquisition; vancomycin assay; incidence of vancomycin-associated acute kidney injury; excess hospital length of stay if acute kidney injury occurred; frequency/cost of specialty physician consults after occurrence of acute kidney injury; and probability/cost of acute dialysis as a result of acute kidney injury. Iclaprim treatment duration was 7 days and iclaprim acquisition cost was varied to determine the upper end of the daily iclaprim price that still conferred cost savings relative to vancomycin. Duration of hospitalization for iclaprim was assumed to be the same as patients with no acute kidney injury. RESULTS: Based on the overall acute kidney injury rate (9.2%), the neutral acquisition price threshold for iclaprim vs. vancomycin was US$1373.47/regimen. Across various subpopulations where acute kidney injury risk ranged between 9.2 and 16.7%, the daily iclaprim acquisition cost that still conferred cost savings was up to US$300/day. CONCLUSIONS: Iclaprim has the potential to reduce the economic burden of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections in hospitalized patients at risk for vancomycin-associated acute kidney injury when iclaprim acquisition is US$300/day or less.

Medical treatment of ectopic pregnancy: a committee opinion.

Methotrexate, a folic acid antagonist, is an effective treatment for early unruptured ectopic pregnancy. Several treatment regimens are available. Methotrexate is more effective when used to treat ectopic pregnancies with lower human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels. However, there is no consensus on a threshold value that best predicts success or failure. Methotrexate can be used to treat ectopic pregnancies that occur in cornual, cervical, and cesarean scar locations, and it does not adversely affect ovarian reserve or subsequent fertility. This document replaces the previous document of the same name, last published in 2008 (Fertil Steril 2008;90:S206-12).