Physiological stress assessment of female workers at kitchen workstation.

This paper explores the extent of the physiological stresses of female workers at kitchen workstation while performing the various activities. For this a survey of eighty homemakers and experiment on sixteen respondents having similar physical and physiological parameters was done. Five activities in which the respondents faced maximum problems were selected and were standardized. Physiological stresses including cardiovascular, muscular, and energy expenditure during these activities were then assessed. Study revealed that fatigue during the selected five activities i.e. cutting, grating, rolling, kneading, dish washing, was felt mainly at the wrist, fore arm, followed by discomfort in the shoulders, upper arm, lower back and neck. Energy expenditure for these activities ranged from 7.0 to10 kJ\min, total cardiac cost of work (TCCW) was between 200.81 to 364.30 beats, physiological cost of work (PCW) was 12.82 to 26.26 beats\min; maximum for grating and minimum for rolling. The percent increase in heart rate was maximum for grating 38.56 and minimum for rolling 16.20. Reduction in grip and pinch strength of right hand was found more as compared to the left hand.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of micafungin versus caspofungin for treatment of systemic Candida infections in the UK.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of micafungin compared to caspofungin in the treatment of systemic Candida infections (SCIs) in the UK, including invasive candidiasis and candidaemia. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Cost-effectiveness of both echinocandin antifungal drugs was estimated using decision analysis. Response to treatment, resource utilisation, and costs in the model were derived from a phase 3, head-to-head comparative trial. The model includes only data directly related to the treatment of the systemic Candida infection over the study duration (a maximum period of 14 weeks). Transition probabilities were calculated based on the efficacy results from the clinical trial. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The model's effectiveness outcome is surviving patients who are successfully treated, based on the absence of signs and symptoms, radiographic abnormalities, and culture/histologic evidence associated with the fungal infection. In addition, subgroup analyses were performed to identify cost-effectiveness in several specific patient groups. RESULTS: The total medical treatment costs for the micafungin group were pound 29,095, which is similar to the total costs for the caspofungin group (pound 29,953). In the micafungin arm 60% of the patients and in the caspofungin arm 58% of the patients were successfully treated and alive. Cost-effectiveness ratio of micafungin was pound 48,771, and of caspofungin pound 52,066 per successfully treated patient. Because the costs are lower and the effectiveness is higher for micafungin in comparison with caspofungin, micafungin is more cost-effective than caspofungin. However, probabilistic sensitivity and subgroup analysis show that the differences cannot be considered significant due to a large variance although micafungin remained the most cost-effective option throughout all but one of the sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Costs and effects of micafungin compare to those of caspofungin in the treatment of systemic Candida infections in the UK. The results indicate that micafungin is cost-effective compared to caspofungin, although the difference was not found to be significant.

Economic evaluation of maintenance treatment with tacrolimus 0.1% ointment in adults with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis.

BACKGROUND: Rational health care decision-making based on outcomes and economic evidence is essential to provide the best possible care for individual patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). OBJECTIVES: To describe treatment outcomes and to evaluate resource utilization and associated cost of maintenance use of tacrolimus ointment (MU) vs. standard use of tacrolimus ointment (SU) in adults with AD. METHODS: A pan-European, phase III multicentre randomized clinical trial was conducted. Patients with mild to severe AD were randomized to tacrolimus 0.1% ointment (MU) or vehicle (SU) twice per week for 12 months. Disease exacerbations were treated by using open-label tacrolimus 0.1% ointment twice daily. Resource utilization data were collected prospectively alongside the clinical trial. Costs of pooled resource data were determined using German unit cost data. Direct and indirect costs were considered from third party payer, patient and societal perspectives. RESULTS: All patients with moderate and severe AD were included in a subanalysis, 75 patients in the MU arm (57% moderately affected) and 59 patients in the SU arm (59% moderately affected). In patients with moderate AD, the number of disease exacerbations in the MU arm was 2.4 vs. 5.5 in the SU arm (P<0.001); in patients with severe AD corresponding figures were 2.3 vs. 7.4 (P<0.001), respectively. Mean+/-SD total annual cost per patient was euro1525+/-1081 (MU) vs. euro1729+/-1209 (SU) in patients with moderate AD and euro2045+/-2013 (MU) vs. euro2904+/-1510 (SU) in patients with severe AD. CONCLUSIONS: Maintenance treatment with 0.1% tacrolimus ointment is more effective and leads to cost savings and improved health-related quality of life in comparison with standard use of 0.1% tacrolimus ointment, especially in patients with severe AD.

Systematic review of the Sugarbaker procedure for pseudomyxoma peritonei.

BACKGROUND: Pseudomyxoma peritonei, a rare progressive disease process within the peritoneum, is characterized by an abundance of mucinous fluid; if left untreated, the condition is fatal. The aim of this article is to assess the clinical effectiveness and costs of the Sugarbaker procedure for pseudomyxoma peritonei. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature up to April 2004 was undertaken, with modelling of costs. RESULTS: Five retrospective case-series reports met the inclusion criteria. Survival after operation was approximately 95 per cent at 2 years and 60-68 per cent at 10 years, with 41-52 per cent of patients having no evidence of disease at the end of follow-up. A Monte Carlo simulation model estimated the marginal cost for one patient over a maximum of 5 years to be about pound 9700 (standard deviation pound 1300). CONCLUSION: Evidence of the effectiveness of the Sugarbaker procedure for pseudomyxoma peritonei is limited in quantity and quality, but suggests there may be some benefit for patients. The marginal cost of the operation is about pound 9700, provided that trained and experienced staff are available to perform the procedure.

Clinical and cost-effectiveness of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion for diabetes.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the clinical and cost-effectiveness of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) compared with multiple daily injections (MDI) in the delivery of intensive insulin therapy for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. DATA SOURCES: Electronic databases, references of retrieved articles and manufacturer submissions. Experts in the field were consulted. REVIEW METHODS: For the systematic review of clinical and cost-effectiveness, studies were assessed for inclusion according to predefined criteria by two reviewers. Data extraction and quality assessment were undertaken by one reviewer and checked by a second reviewer. Data on clinical effectiveness were synthesised through a narrative review with full tabulation of all eligible studies, with meta-analysis performed where appropriate. RESULTS: Twenty studies comparing CSII with MDI were identified. Quality was generally poor. In adults with Type 1 diabetes, glycated haemoglobin improved by 0.61% (95% CI -1.29 to 0.07) in longer term studies, although this improvement was smaller when a study using bovine ultralente was excluded. A reduction in insulin dose with CSII of about 12 units per day (-11.90, 95% CI -18.16 to 5.63) was found in short-term studies, with smaller differences in longer term studies. Body weight and cholesterol levels were similar between treatments. Hypoglycaemic events did not differ significantly between CSII and MDI in most trials, but some found fewer events with CSII and one found more hypoglycaemia and hypoglycaemic coma with CSII. There was no consistency between the studies in patient preference, but progress has been made both with insulin pumps and injector pens since the publication of many of the older studies. No difference in glycated haemoglobin between CSII and MDI was found in pregnancy; one study found less insulin was required by patients with CSII, but two other studies found no significant difference. One study of adolescents found lower glycated haemoglobin and insulin dose with CSII whereas a second study found no significant difference. In CSII analogue insulin was associated with lower glycated haemoglobin levels than soluble insulin. No economic evaluations comparing CSII with MDI were identified. The estimated additional cost of CSII compared to MDI varies from GBP1091 per annum to GBP1680 per annum, according to the make of the insulin pump and the estimated life of the device. These estimates include the costs for the insulin pump, the consumables associated with delivery of CSII, and an allowance for the initial education required when patients switch from MDI to CSII. The largest component of the annual cost for CSII is the cost of consumable items (e.g. infusion sets). CONCLUSIONS: When compared with optimised MDI, CSII results in a modest but worthwhile improvement in glycated haemoglobin in adults with Type 1 diabetes. It has not been possible to establish the longer term benefits of such a difference in glycated haemoglobin, although there is an expectation that it would be reflected in a reduction in long-term complications. More immediate primary benefits from CSII may be associated with an impact on the incidence of hypoglycaemic events and the dawn phenomenon, and greater flexibility of lifestyle. However, there is limited evidence on this, and information presented to offer context on quality-of-life is based on testimonies from those patients who have had a positive experience of CSII. The estimated cost to the NHS per year for CSII would be around GBP3.5 million in England and Wales if 1% of people with Type 1 diabetes used CSII, GBP10.5 million for 3%, and GBP17.5 million for 5%. Further research should focus on wider benefits of CSII, such as flexibility of lifestyle and quality of life, and on the psychological impact of wearing a device for 24 hours every day. Research into the use of CSII in children of different ages is also needed.

Clinical effectiveness and costs of the Sugarbaker procedure for the treatment of pseudomyxoma peritonei.

OBJECTIVES: This systematic review examines the clinical and cost-effectiveness of the Sugarbaker procedure for treating pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) and the costs of the procedure in the UK. DATA SOURCES: Electronic databases, bibliographies of related papers and experts in the field were used as sources for English language studies available up to September 2002. REVIEW METHODS: Evidence of the clinical effectiveness of the Sugarbaker procedure for PMP was synthesised through a narrative review with full tabulation of results of all included studies. The economic modelling used a Monte-Carlo simulation model populated with UK price data to estimate likely UK costs. RESULTS: Five retrospective case-series reports assessing the Sugarbaker procedure met the inclusion criteria for the review, although they were found to be of poor quality when judged against standard criteria for assessing methodological standard. There appears to be some benefit for people with PMP who undergo treatment with the Sugarbaker procedure. Commonly reported complications of the Sugarbaker procedure were anastomotic leaks, fistula formation, wound infection, small bowel perforations/obstructions and pancreatitis. One costing study of poor methodological quality and set in the USA was found. This study, together with UK unit price data and expert advice, was used to populate a Monte-Carlo simulation model to estimate the marginal cost of operating a service to provide treatment for PMP using the Sugarbaker technique rather than standard treatment. The results of the Monte-Carlo simulation model showed that the cost for one patient over a maximum of 5 years would be about 9700 British pounds, with a standard deviation of about 1300 British pounds (although costs incurred in setting up the specific service or training the staff were not included). The US study showed a ten-fold higher cost. The Monte-Carlo analysis showed that the variation around the mean was not very high. The most likely factor influencing the variation of the costs was the length of procedure. No sensitivity analysis could be done of the alternative treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The economic results should be seen as merely an example of the likely marginal costs of the Sugarbaker procedure, as more information about the current alternative is required. Trained and experienced staff are required to implement the procedure and inevitably time and cost will be involved in developing the appropriate teams. Although the procedure requires some specialist equipment and maintenance, such as smoke evacuators, these should have limited effect on setting up the service. PMP is a relatively rare condition with approximately 50 new cases per year in the UK and the impact of an increase in the demand for services should be limited. Evidence is needed for the effectiveness of maximal cytoreductive surgery compared with surgical debulking, using different intraoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy strategies, and for the effectiveness of treatments in patients who have residual disease following maximal efforts at cytoreduction. Further research involving high-quality prospective cohort studies with economic evaluations would be valuable.