Preoperative Anemia Prior to Gynecologic Surgery is Associated With Increased Healthcare Costs.

OBJECTIVE: To compare healthcare utilization costs between anemic and nonanemic patients undergoing elective hysterectomy and myomectomy for benign indications from the date of surgery to 30 days postoperatively. DESIGN: Retrospective population-based cohort study. SETTING: Single-payer publicly funded healthcare system in Ontario, Canada between 2013 and 2020. PARTICIPANTS: Adult women (≥18 years of age) who underwent elective hysterectomy or myomectomy (laparoscopic/laparotomy) for benign indications. INTERVENTIONS: Our exposure of interest was preoperative anemia, defined as the most recent hemoglobin value <12 g/dL on the complete blood count measured before the date of surgery. Our primary outcome was healthcare costs (total and disaggregated) from the perspective of the single-payer publicly funded healthcare system. RESULTS: Of the 59 270 patients in the cohort, 11 802 (19.9%) had preoperative anemia. After propensity matching, standardized differences in all baseline characteristics (N = 10 103 per group) were <0.10. In the matched cohort, the mean total healthcare cost per anemic patient was higher compared to cost per nonanemic patient ($6134.88 ± $2782.38 vs $6009.97 ± $2423.27, p < .001). Anemic patients, compared to nonanemic patients, had a higher mean difference in total healthcare cost of $124.91 per patient (95% CI $53.54-$196.29) translating to an increased cost attributable to anemia of 2.08% (95% CI 0.89%-3.28%, p < .001). In a subgroup analysis of patients undergoing hysterectomy (N = 9041), the cost was also significantly higher for anemic patients (mean difference per patient of $117.67, 95% CI $41.58-$193.75). For those undergoing myomectomy (N = 1062) the difference in cost was not statistically significant (mean difference $186.61, 95% CI -$17.42 to $390.65). CONCLUSION: Preoperative anemia was associated with significantly increased healthcare resource utilization and costs for patients undergoing elective gynecologic surgery. Although the cost difference per case was modest, when extrapolated to the population level, this difference could result in substantially significant cost to the healthcare system, attributable to preoperative anemia.

Impact of anemia on outcomes and resource utilization in patients with myocardial infarction: A national database analysis.

BACKGROUND: Although anemia is common in patients with myocardial infarction (MI), management remains controversial. We quantified the association of anemia with in-hospital outcomes and resource utilization in patients admitted with MI using a large national database. METHODS: All hospitalizations with a primary diagnosis code for acute MI in the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) between 2014 and 2018 were identified. Among these hospitalizations, patients with anemia were identified using a secondary diagnosis code. Data on demographic and clinical variables were collected. Outcomes of interest included in-hospital adverse events, length of stay (LOS), and total cost. Multivariable logistic regression and generalized linear models were used to evaluate the relationship between anemia and outcomes. RESULTS: Among 1,113,181 MI hospitalizations, 254,816 (22.8%) included concomitant anemia. Anemic patients were older and more likely to be women. After adjustment for demographics and comorbidities, anemia was associated with higher mortality (7.1 vs. 4.3%; odds ratio 1.09; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07-1.12, p < 0.001). Anemia was also associated with a mean of 2.71 days longer LOS (average marginal effects [AME] 2.71; 95% CI 2.68-2.73, p < 0.05), and $ 9703 mean higher total costs (AME $9703, 95% CI $9577-$9829, p < 0.05). Anemic patients who received blood transfusions had higher mortality as compared with those who did not (8.2% vs. 7.0, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In MI patients, anemia was associated with higher in-hospital mortality, adverse events, total cost, and length of stay. Transfusion was associated with increased mortality, and its role in MI requires further research.

Associations of preoperative anaemia with healthcare resource use and outcomes after colorectal surgery: a population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative anaemia is common in patient undergoing colorectal surgery. Understanding the population-level costs of preoperative anaemia will inform development and evaluation of anaemia management at health system levels. METHODS: This was a population-based cohort study using linked, routinely collected data, including residents from Ontario, Canada, aged ≥18 yr who underwent an elective colorectal resection between 2012 and 2022. Primary exposure was preoperative anaemia (haemoglobin <130 g L-1 in males; <120 g L-1 in females). Primary outcome was 30-day costs in 2022 Canadian dollars (CAD), from the perspective of a publicly funded healthcare system. Secondary outcomes included red blood cell transfusion, major adverse events (MAEs), length of stay (LOS), days alive at home (DAH), and readmissions. RESULTS: We included 54,286 patients, with mean 65.3 (range 18-102) years of age and 49.0% females, among which 21 264 (39.2%) had preoperative anaemia. There was an absolute adjusted cost increase of $2671 per person at 30 days after surgery attributable to preoperative anaemia (ratio of means [RoM] 1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04-1.06). Compared with the control group, 30-day risks of transfusion (odds ratio [OR] 4.34, 95% CI 4.04-4.66), MAEs (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.03-1.27), LOS (RoM 1.08, 95% CI 1.07-1.10), and readmissions (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.08-1.24) were higher in the anaemia group, with reduced DAH (RoM 0.95, 95% CI 0.95-0.96). CONCLUSIONS: Approximately $2671 CAD per person in 30-day health system costs are attributable to preoperative anaemia after colorectal surgery in Ontario, Canada.

Examining different cost ratio frameworks for decision rule machine learning algorithms in diagnostic application.

BACKGROUND: Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays a pivotal role in the diagnosis of health conditions ranging from general well-being to critical health issues. In the realm of health diagnostics, an often overlooked but critical aspect is the consideration of cost-sensitive learning, a facet that this study prioritizes over the non-invasive nature of the diagnostic process whereas the other standard metrics such as accuracy and sensitivity reflect weakness in error profile. OBJECTIVE: This research aims to investigate the total cost of misclassification (Total Cost) by decision rule Machine Learning (ML) algorithms implemented in Java platforms such as DecisionTable, JRip, OneR, and PART. An augmented dataset with conjunctiva images along candidates' demographic and anthropometric features under supervised learning is considered with a specific emphasis on cost-sensitive classification. METHODS: The opted decision rule classifiers use the text features, additionally the image feature 'a* value of CIELAB color space' extracted from the conjunctiva digital images as input attributes. The pre-processing consists of amalgamating text and image features on a uniform scale, normalizing. Then the 10-fold cross-validation enables the classification of samples into two categories: the presence or absence of the anemia. This study utilizes the Cost Ratio (ρ) extracted from the cost matrix to meticulously monitor the Total Cost in four different cost ratio methodologies namely Uniform (U), Uniform Inverted (UI), Non-Uniform (NU), and Non-Uniform Inverted (NUI). RESULTS: It has been established that the PART classifier stands out as the top performer in this binary classification task, yielding the lowest mean total cost of 629.9 compared to other selected classifiers. Moreover, it demonstrates a comparatively lower standard deviation 335.9, and lower total cost across all four different cost ratio methodologies. The ranking of algorithm performance goes as follows: PART, JRIP, DecisionTable, and OneR. CONCLUSION: The significance of adopting a cost-sensitive learning approach is emphasized showing the PART classifier's consistent performance within the proposed framework for learning the anemia dataset. This emphasis on cost-sensitive learning not only enhances the recommendations in diagnosis but also holds the potential for substantial cost savings and makes it a noteworthy focal point in the advancement of AI-driven health care.

Ferric citrate hydrate is associated with a reduced cost of drugs and a smaller change in red blood cell distribution width.

The ASTRIO study was a randomised, multicentre, 24-week study that compared the effects of ferric citrate hydrate (FC) and non-iron-based phosphate binders (control) on anaemia management in haemodialysis (HD) patients receiving erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs). In that study, FC reduced the doses of ESAs and intravenous iron without affecting haemoglobin (Hb); however, the cost-effectiveness of FC was unclear. We retrospectively implemented a cost-effectiveness analysis comparing the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) in FC (n = 42) and control (n = 40) groups in patients with serum phosphate and Hb controlled within the ranges of 3.5-6.0 mg/dL and 10-12 g/dL, respectively. Costs included drug costs of phosphate binders, ESAs, and intravenous iron. Elevated red cell distribution width (RDW) has been reported to be associated with mortality in HD patients and was therefore used as an effectiveness index. The mean (95% confidence interval) differences in drug costs and RDW between the FC and control groups were US$ - 421.36 (- 778.94 to - 63.78, p = 0.02) and - 0.83% (- 1.61 to - 0.05, p = 0.04), respectively. ICER indicated a decrease of US$ 507.66 per 1% decrease in RDW. FC was more cost-effective than non-iron-based phosphate binders. Iron absorbed via FC could promote erythropoiesis and contribute to renal anaemia treatment.

Burden of anemia and its underlying causes in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

BACKGROUND: Anemia is a common disease which affects around 40% of children and 30% of reproductive age women and can have major health consequences. The present study reports the global, regional and national burden of anemia and its underlying causes between 1990 and 2019, by age, sex and socio-demographic index (SDI). METHODS: Publicly available data on the point prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs) were retrieved from the global burden of disease (GBD) 2019 study for 204 countries and territories between 1990 and 2019. The point prevalence, YLD counts and rates per 100,000 population were presented, along with their corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals. RESULTS: In 2019, the global age-standardized point prevalence and YLD rates for anemia were 23,176.2 (22,943.5-23,418.6) and 672.4 (447.2-981.5) per 100,000 population, respectively. Moreover, the global age-standardized point prevalence and YLD rate decreased by 13.4% (12.1-14.5%) and 18.8% (16.9-20.8%), respectively, over the period 1990-2019. The highest national point prevalences of anemia were found in Zambia [49327.1 (95% UI: 46,838.5-51,700.1)], Mali [46890.1 (95% UI: 44,301.1-49,389.8)], and Burkina Faso [46117.2 (95% UI: 43,640.7-48,319.2)]. In 2019, the global point prevalence of anemia was highest in the 15-19 and 95+ age groups in females and males, respectively. Also, the burden of anemia was lower in regions with higher socio-economic development. Globally, most of the prevalent cases were attributable to dietary iron deficiency, as well as hemoglobinopathies and hemolytic anemias. CONCLUSIONS: Anemia remains a major health problem, especially among females in less developed countries. The implementation of preventive programs with a focus on improving access to iron supplements, early diagnosis and the treatment of hemoglobinopathies should be taken into consideration.

Anemia prevalence in women of reproductive age in low- and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2018.

Anemia is a globally widespread condition in women and is associated with reduced economic productivity and increased mortality worldwide. Here we map annual 2000-2018 geospatial estimates of anemia prevalence in women of reproductive age (15-49 years) across 82 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), stratify anemia by severity and aggregate results to policy-relevant administrative and national levels. Additionally, we provide subnational disparity analyses to provide a comprehensive overview of anemia prevalence inequalities within these countries and predict progress toward the World Health Organization's Global Nutrition Target (WHO GNT) to reduce anemia by half by 2030. Our results demonstrate widespread moderate improvements in overall anemia prevalence but identify only three LMICs with a high probability of achieving the WHO GNT by 2030 at a national scale, and no LMIC is expected to achieve the target in all their subnational administrative units. Our maps show where large within-country disparities occur, as well as areas likely to fall short of the WHO GNT, offering precision public health tools so that adequate resource allocation and subsequent interventions can be targeted to the most vulnerable populations.

Burden of Mild (<13 g/dl) Anemia in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation (A Report from a Multicenter Registry With Patient-Reported Outcomes).

The prognostic impact of anemia, especially mild anemia, in atrial fibrillation (AF) remains unclear. We examined clinical burdens of mild anemia on the quality of life (QoL) and clinical outcomes of 1,677 AF patients. Patients were divided into a non-anemia (hemoglobin [Hb] ≥13 g/dl for men and Hb ≥12 g/dl for women) and a mild anemia group (10≤ Hb <13 g/dl for men and 10≤ Hb <12 g/dl for women). At baseline, 22.5% of patients (n = 378) had anemia; patients in the mild anemia group had higher CHA2DS2-VASc scores (3.7 vs 2.7; p <0.01) and brain natriuretic peptide levels (253.5 vs 159.6 pg/ml; p <0.01) and were more likely to develop chronic kidney disease (64.2 vs 42.9%; p <0.01) than those in the non-anemia group. During follow-up (mean 1.7 ± 0.4 years), patients with mild anemia had a higher risk of heart failure hospitalization and major bleeding events than those without (12.2 vs 3.8%; p <0.01 and 5.6 vs 2.5%; p <0.01, respectively). Mild anemia was an independent risk factor for heart failure hospitalization (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.67, 95% confidence interval 1.06 to 2.62, p = 0.03) but not for major bleeding (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.44, 95% confidence interval 0.80 to 2.62, p = 0.23). QoL improvement was less likely in the mild anemia group during follow-up, despite the lack of significant differences at baseline. In conclusion, the presence of even mild anemia was associated with increased risks of heart failure hospitalization and poor QoL improvement.

Ferric carboxymaltose vs. ferrous sulfate for the treatment of anemia in advanced chronic kidney disease: an observational retrospective study and cost analysis.

In non-dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease (NDD-CKD), erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) and iron supplementation are essential for anemia management. Ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) is a relatively novel intravenous iron formulation used in different clinical settings, although scarce data exist in NDD-CKD patients. Primary objective of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the efficacy of FCM compared with oral ferrous sulfate for the treatment of iron-deficiency anemia in a cohort of NDD-CKD patients, considering also the treatment costs. This was a monocentric, retrospective observational study reviewing 349 NDD-CKD patients attending an outpatient clinic between June 2013 and December 2016. Patients were treated by either FCM intravenous infusion or oral ferrous sulfate. We collected serum values of hemoglobin, ferritin and transferrin saturation (TSAT) and ESAs doses at 12 and 18 months. The costs related to both treatments were also analysed. 239 patients were treated with FCM intravenous infusion and 110 patients with oral ferrous sulfate. The two groups were not statistically different for age, BMI and eGFR values. At 18 months, hemoglobin, serum ferritin and TSAT values increased significantly from baseline in the FCM group, compared with the ferrous sulfate group. ESAs dose and rate of infusion decreased only in the FCM group. At 18 months, the treatment costs, analysed per week, was higher in the ferrous sulfate group, compared with the FCM group, and this was mostly due to a reduction in ESAs prescription in the FCM group. Routine intravenous FCM treatment in an outpatient clinic of NDD-CKD patients results in better correction of iron-deficiency anemia when compared to ferrous sulfate. In addition to this, treating NDD-CKD patients with FCM leads to a significant reduction of the treatment costs by reducing ESAs use.

Hospitalization rates for complications due to systemic therapy in the United States.

The aim of this study was to estimate the trends and burdens associated with systemic therapy-related hospitalizations, using nationally representative data. National Inpatient Sample data from 2005 to 2016 was used to identify systemic therapy-related complications using ICD-9 and ICD-10 external causes-of-injury codes. The primary outcome was hospitalization rates, while secondary outcomes were cost and in-hospital mortality. Overall, there were 443,222,223 hospitalizations during the study period, of which 2,419,722 were due to complications of systemic therapy. The average annual percentage change of these hospitalizations was 8.1%, compared to - 0.5% for general hospitalizations. The three most common causes for hospitalization were anemia (12.8%), neutropenia (10.8%), and sepsis (7.8%). Hospitalization rates had the highest relative increases for sepsis (1.9-fold) and acute kidney injury (1.6-fold), and the highest relative decrease for dehydration (0.21-fold) and fever of unknown origin (0.35-fold). Complications with the highest total charges were anemia ($4.6 billion), neutropenia ($3.0 billion), and sepsis ($2.5 billion). The leading causes of in-hospital mortality associated with systemic therapy were sepsis (15.8%), pneumonia (7.6%), and acute kidney injury (7.0%). Promoting initiatives such as rule OP-35, improving access to and providing coordinated care, developing systems leading to early identification and management of symptoms, and expanding urgent care access, can decrease these hospitalizations and the burden they carry on the healthcare system.

Reducing the Burden of Anemia and Neural Tube Defects in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: An Analysis to Identify Countries with an Immediate Potential to Benefit from Large-Scale Mandatory Fortification of Wheat Flour and Rice.

Using a predetermined set of criteria, including burden of anemia and neural tube defects (NTDs) and an enabling environment for large-scale fortification, this paper identifies 18 low- and middle-income countries with the highest and most immediate potential for large-scale wheat flour and/or rice fortification in terms of health impact and economic benefit. Adequately fortified staples, delivered at estimated coverage rates in these countries, have the potential to avert 72.1 million cases of anemia among non-pregnant women of reproductive age; 51,636 live births associated with folic acid-preventable NTDs (i.e., spina bifida, anencephaly); and 46,378 child deaths associated with NTDs annually. This equates to a 34% reduction in the number of cases of anemia and 38% reduction in the number of NTDs in the 18 countries identified. An estimated 5.4 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) could be averted annually, and an economic value of 31.8 billion United States dollars (USD) generated from 1 year of fortification at scale in women and children beneficiaries. This paper presents a missed opportunity and warrants an urgent call to action for the countries identified to potentially avert a significant number of preventable birth defects, anemia, and under-five child mortality and move closer to achieving health equity by 2030 for the Sustainable Development Goals.

Associations of a Preoperative Anemia and Suboptimal Iron Stores Screening and Management Clinic in Colorectal Surgery With Hospital Cost, Reimbursement, and Length of Stay: A Net Cost Analysis.

BACKGROUND: In 2016, a preoperative clinic was implemented to screen, evaluate, and manage anemia and suboptimal iron stores at a major tertiary care medical center in Western Australia. Few studies compare the costs and reimbursements associated with preoperative anemia and suboptimal iron stores management. The objective of our study was to conduct a net cost analysis associated with the implementation of this clinic. METHODS: We designed a retrospective cohort study involving elective colorectal surgical admissions over a 3-year period. The baseline year selected was the 2015-2016 financial year, with outcomes in the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 year compared to baseline. The study perspective was the Western Australian Health System. Hospital costs were extracted from the health service clinical costing system, which captures costs at the admission level. The primary outcome was net cost, defined as gross cost minus reimbursement (or funding) received. RESULTS: Our 3-year study included 544 admissions for elective colorectal surgery. After the implementation of the preoperative clinic, 73.4% (n = 257) of admissions were screened for anemia and suboptimal iron stores, and 31.4% (n = 110) received intravenous iron. In our adjusted analysis, when comparing the final year (2017-2018) with baseline (2015-2016), the units of red blood cells transfused per admission decreased 53% (142 vs 303 units per 1000 discharges; P = .006), and mean hospital length of stay decreased 15% (7.7 vs 9.1 days; P = .008). When comparing the final year with baseline, rectal resection admissions were associated with a mean decrease in the net cost of Australian dollar (A$) 7619 (95% confidence interval, 4230-11,008; P < .001) between 2015-2016 and 2017-2018. For small and large bowel procedures, there was a mean decrease of A$6744 (95% confidence interval, 2430-11,057; P = .002). CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of a preoperative anemia and suboptimal iron stores screening and management clinic in elective colorectal surgery was associated with reductions in red cell transfusions, length of stay, and net costs.

Screening and treating pre-operative anaemia and suboptimal iron stores in elective colorectal surgery: a cost effectiveness analysis.

Our study investigated whether pre-operative screening and treatment for anaemia and suboptimal iron stores in a patient blood management clinic is cost effective. We used outcome data from a retrospective cohort study comparing colorectal surgery patients admitted pre- and post-implementation of a pre-operative screening programme. We applied propensity score weighting techniques with multivariable regression models to adjust for differences in baseline characteristics between groups. Episode-level hospitalisation costs were sourced from the health service clinical costing data system; the economic evaluation was conducted from a Western Australia Health System perspective. The primary outcome measure was the incremental cost per unit of red cell transfusion avoided. We compared 441 patients screened in the pre-operative anaemia programme with 239 patients not screened; of the patients screened, 180 (40.8%) received intravenous iron for anaemia and suboptimal iron stores. The estimated mean cost of screening and treating pre-operative anaemia was AU$332 (£183; US$231; €204) per screened patient. In the propensity score weighted analysis, screened patients were transfused 52% less red cell units when compared with those not screened (rate ratio = 0.48, 95%CI 0.36-0.63, p < 0.001). The mean difference in total screening, treatment and hospitalisation cost between groups was AU$3776 lower in the group screened (£2080; US$2629; €2325) (95%CI AU$1604-5947, p < 0.001). Screening elective patients pre-operatively for anaemia and suboptimal iron stores reduced the number of red cell units transfused. It also resulted in lower total costs than not screening patients, thus demonstrating cost effectiveness.

Anemia Severity Associated with Increased Healthcare Utilization and Costs in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

BACKGROUND: Anemia is a common systemic complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and is associated with worse disease outcomes, quality of life, and higher healthcare costs. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to determine how anemia severity impacts healthcare resource utilization and if treatment of anemia was associated with reduced utilization and costs. METHODS: Retrospective chart review of adult patients managed by gastroenterology between 2014 and 2018 at a tertiary referral center. RESULTS: The records of 1763 patients with IBD were included in the analysis, with 966 (55%) patients with CD, 799 (44%) with UC, and 18 (1%) with unspecified IBD. Of these patients, 951 (54%) had anemia. Patients with anemia had significantly more hospitalizations, increased length of stays, more ER, GI, and PCP visits, as well as higher costs when compared to patients with IBD without anemia. Patients with more severe anemia had more healthcare utilization and incurred even higher total costs. Treatment with IV or oral iron did not lower overall utilization or costs, when compared to patients with anemia who did not receive treatment (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that the presence of anemia is correlated with increased resource utilization in patients with IBD, with increase in anemia severity associated with higher utilization and costs. Anemia has been associated with increased disease activity and could represent a marker of more severe disease, possibly explaining these associations. Our results suggest that treating anemia is associated with increased resource utilization; however, further research is needed to investigate this relationship.

Racial/ethnic and gender disparities in the use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents and blood transfusions: cancer management under Medicare's reimbursement policy.

BACKGROUND: Because of increasing safety concerns related to erythropoiesisstimulating agents (ESAs), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a Medicare reimbursement policy change regarding these medications in cancer patients. However, the policy established an absolute hemoglobin or hematocrit threshold to qualify for reasonable use but did not take the effect of gender and racial/ethnic differences in hemoglobin levels into consideration. OBJECTIVE: To examine disparities in the use of ESAs and blood transfusions after the Medicare policy change. METHODS: This study was an exploratory treatment effectiveness study and used the SEER-Medicare linked database. The treatment group was composed of cancer patients, whereas the control group was composed of chronic kidney disease patients. An interrupted time series design was used to examine the effect of the Medicare policy change on the use of ESAs and blood transfusions in different gender and racial/ethnic groups. RESULTS: The Medicare reimbursement policy change had an immediate effect on reducing the use of ESAs by 50% and increasing the use of blood transfusions by 10%. The immediate effect of the policy change on the monthly utilization of ESAs was 2 times greater in females (60% reduction) than males (30% reduction). Females had a 10% immediate increase in the monthly utilization of blood transfusions after the policy change. The policy change had the same immediate effect of a 50% reduction on the use of ESAs for Whites, African Americans/Blacks, and Latinos. African Americans/Blacks had a 50% immediate increase in the monthly utilization of blood transfusions after the policy change. CONCLUSIONS: Gender and racial/ethnic disparities were associated with the Medicare reimbursement policy change in the use of ESAs and blood transfusions. Thus, future policy considerations should keep biologic differences across gender and racial/ethnic groups in mind. DISCLOSURES: This study was funded by the SPARC Research Grant. The funder had no role in any part of this study. The authors have nothing to disclose.

Outcomes of treatment with CHOP and EPOCH in patients with HIV associated NHL in a low resource setting.

BACKGROUND: The optimal chemotherapy regimen for treating HIV associated NHL in low resource settings is unknown. We conducted a retrospective study to describe survival rates, treatment response rates and adverse events in patients with HIV associated NHL treated with CHOP and dose adjusted-EPOCH regimens at the Uganda Cancer Institute. METHODS: A retrospective study of patients diagnosed with HIV and lymphoma and treated at the Uganda Cancer Institute from 2016 to 2018 was done. RESULTS: One hundred eight patients treated with CHOP and 12 patients treated with DA-EPOCH were analysed. Patients completing 6 or more cycles of chemotherapy were 51 (47%) in the CHOP group and 8 (67%) in the DA-EPOCH group. One year overall survival (OS) rate in patients treated with CHOP was 54.5% (95% CI, 42.8-64.8) and 80.2% (95% CI, 40.3-94.8) in those treated with DA-EPOCH. Factors associated with favourable survival were BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m2, (p = 0.03) and completion of 6 or more cycles of chemotherapy, (p < 0.001). The overall response rate was 40% in the CHOP group and 59% in the DA-EPOCH group. Severe adverse events occurred in 19 (18%) patients in the CHOP group and 3 (25%) in the DA-EPOCH group; these were neutropenia (CHOP = 13, 12%; DA-EPOCH = 2, 17%), anaemia (CHOP = 12, 12%; DA-EPOCH = 1, 8%), thrombocytopenia (CHOP = 7, 6%; DA-EPOCH = 0), sepsis (CHOP = 1), treatment related death (DA-EPOCH = 1) and hepatic encephalopathy (CHOP = 1). CONCLUSION: Treatment of HIV associated NHL with curative intent using CHOP and infusional DA-EPOCH is feasible in low resource settings and associated with > 50% 1 year survival.

Estimating the Epidemiological and Economic Impact of Implementing Preoperative Anaemia Measures in the German Healthcare System: The Health Economic Footprint of Patient Blood Management.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to quantify the potential epidemiological and health economic benefits of implementing preoperative anaemia measures (PAMs) in clinical practice in the German healthcare system. METHODS: An evidence-based health economic model was developed to assess the possible impact of implementing PAMs, the first pillar of patient blood management (PBM), in a German population. The analysis of two risk factors-iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA) and receipt of a red blood cell concentrate (RBC) transfusion during elective surgery-allowed the estimation of relative risks (RRs), average cost per patient, average length of hospital stay, and avoided hospital deaths after the implementation of PAMs. RESULTS: A total of 4,591,060 patients who had undergone elective surgery during 2015 were identified, of which 29,170 (0.64%) were diagnosed with preoperative IDA. These patients had an increased RR of receiving a RBC transfusion during surgery (RR 5.031; 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.928, 5.136) and increased mortality risk (RR 3.630; 95% CI 3.401, 3.874) versus patients without IDA. Patients who received a RBC transfusion during surgery had a 24.6-times higher risk of death than those who did not (RR 24.593; 95% CI 24.121, 25.075). Average cost of treatment was €7883 in patients with IDA, €21,744 in patients with IDA and RBC transfusion, and €4560 in patients without risk factors. The model identified 29,714 patients (0.65%) who had received a RBC transfusion and who potentially had IDA but remained undiagnosed before surgery. Hypothetical implementation of PAMs would have resulted in an estimated annual net hospital direct cost saving of €1029 million (1.58%) of total hospital direct costs of the German healthcare system and 3036 hospital deaths (0.07%) avoided. CONCLUSIONS: This model estimated the impact of implementing PAMs for patients with IDA undergoing elective surgery. A significant number of deaths, costly treatments, and hospital days could have been avoided by the introduction of PAMs in routine clinical practice in Germany.

The efficacy and economic evaluation of roxadustat treatment for anemia in patients with kidney disease not receiving dialysis.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the efficacy, tolerance, and cost-effectiveness of roxadustat treatment for anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease not receiving dialysis (CKD ND). METHODS: A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the clinical efficacy and tolerance of roxadustat for the correction of anemia associated with CKD ND, and a Markov model was developed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of roxadustat compared with a placebo. RESULTS: The meta-analysis results showed that compared with a placebo, roxadustat treatment was associated with a remarkably higher rate of clinical response and the differences in the rate of adverse events between these two regimens were not significant. Moreover, roxadustat treatment (70 mg, three times per week) provided an additional 0.49 QALYs at a cost of $12,526 in the time horizon of 5 years, resulting in an ICER of $25,563 per QALY, with approximately 60% probability to be cost-effective at a $29,295 per QALY willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold from the perspective of Chinese medical system. CONCLUSION: For the treatment of anemia in Chinese patients with CKD ND, roxadustat is much more effective than a placebo; moreover, it is cost-effective at conventional WTP thresholds.

A cross-sectional study on selected child health outcomes in India: Quantifying the spatial variations and identification of the parental risk factors.

This study examined association between selected child health indicators- anaemia, stunting and no/incomplete immunization by inter-linking maternal characteristics at district level and parental characteristics at individual level. A spatial analysis and a binary logit model estimation were employed to draw inferences using the data from the fourth round of National Family Health Survey, 2015-16 of India. Significant spatial clustering of the selected child health outcomes was observed in the country. Mother's educational attainment explained significant district level differential in the selected child health outcomes. At the individual level, parents who are very young, not-educated, socially excluded, belong to poor class were found to be significantly associated with the poor child health outcomes. This study indicates that parental characteristics, such as age, educational attainment and employment substantially determine child health in India, suggesting that an intervention by targeting the households where children are vulnerable is important to improve child health in the country.

Cost-minimization analysis between intravenous iron sucrose and iron sucrose similar in hemodialysis patients.

OBJECTIVES: Intravenous iron and erythropoiesis-stimulating agents are used to manage anemia in chronic hemodialysis patients. The interchangeability between intravenous iron sucrose preparations is still debated. We evaluated how cost and effectiveness were impacted when chronic hemodialysis patients were switched from an original iron sucrose product to an iron sucrose similar preparation. METHODS: A single center sequential observational retrospective study was conducted at a French hospital. The same patients were followed during two 24-week periods (iron sucrose in period P1; and iron sucrose similar in period P2). Anemia-related treatment costs were assessed in P1 and P2 from a hospital perspective. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the robustness of the results. RESULTS: Our study included 109 patients (105 analyzed patients and 4 patients with missing data). The mean hemoglobin level was not different between P1 and P2 (p = 0.92). The mean differential cost per patient was + €13.90 (P2 - P1). The factors with the biggest impact on this result were the prices of epoetin alfa and iron sucrose. CONCLUSION: This cost minimization analysis suggests that for chronic hemodialysis patients, iron sucrose and iron sucrose similar have the same efficacy and that using iron sucrose similar was more expensive in 66.7% of iterations.