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Background The debate on the relative benefits of off‐pump and on‐pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCABG and ONCABG) is still open. We aimed to provide an updated and complete summary of the evidence on the differences between OPCABG and ONCABG and to explore whether the length of the follow‐up and the surgeons’ experience in OPCABG modify the comparative results. Methods and Results All randomized clinical trials comparing OPCABG and ONCABG were included. Primary outcome was follow‐up mortality. Secondary outcomes were operative mortality, perioperative stroke, perioperative myocardial infarction, and late repeated revascularization. Subgroup analyses were performed based on the length of the follow‐up and the percentage of crossover from the OPCABG group (used as a surrogate of surgeon experience with OPCABG). One hundred four trials were included (20 627 patients, OPCABG: 10 288; ONCABG: 10 339). Weighted mean follow‐up time was 3.7 years (range 1–7.5 years). OPCABG was associated with a higher risk of follow‐up mortality (incidence rate ratio 1.11, 95% confidence interval 1.00–1.23, P=0.05). The difference was significant only for trials with mean follow‐up of ≥3 years and for studies with a crossover rate of ≥10%. There was a trend toward lower risk of perioperative stroke and higher need for late repeated revascularization in the OPCABG arm. Conclusions OPCABG is associated with a higher incidence of incomplete revascularization, an increased need for repeated revascularization, and decreased midterm survival compared with ONCABG. Surgeon inexperience in OPCABG is associated with late mortality., See Editorial by Lazar

Off‐pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCAB) has been performed for >30 years. The promotion of OPCAB was based on its potential benefits over some of the limitations of traditional on‐pump coronary artery bypass surgery (ONCAB) by avoiding the trauma of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and by minimizing aortic manipulation. As such, reductions in early mortality and perioperative neurological events, renal failure, blood product transfusions, and hospital length of stay were expected according to the OPCAB proponents. In contrast, critics of OPCAB remain concerned about incomplete and/or poorer quality coronary revascularization with a potential increase in the need for repeat revascularization and late mortality. Despite 3 decades of debate, 115 randomized trials, and >60 meta‐analyses comparing on‐ and off‐pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), controversy on both the role of and indications for OPCAB remains vigorous. In this review, we provide a comprehensive update of the evidence for the differences in the biological effects of off‐ and on‐pump surgery and the comparison of the clinical and angiographic results of the 2 techniques. Furthermore, we critically address the relevant technical aspects of OPCAB, the importance of surgeon experience, and the difference in the costs for the 2 procedures.

OBJECTIVES Our goal was to determine the range of perioperative mortality rates associated with the Ross procedure that results in a life expectancy similar to that seen with mechanical aortic valve replacement (mAVR) in young patients with aortic valve disease. METHODS A fully probabilistic Markov microsimulation model with 1000 outer loops and 10 000 inner loops was constructed to compare gain in life expectancy and quality-adjusted life years between the index treatment with the Ross procedure versus mAVR for a theoretical cohort of young patients with aortic valve disease. Inputs for early deaths and late complications (death, stroke, bleeding, reoperation) were obtained from a single-centre study of 208 propensity score matched patients. In the primary analysis, the perioperative mortality rate for the Ross procedure was varied by increments of 0.5% to determine its impact on life expectancy and quality-adjusted life years. A 2-way sensitivity analysis was conducted to determine simultaneously the impact of the Ross reoperation rate and Ross reoperative mortality rate on life expectancy. RESULTS Life expectancy was improved with the Ross procedure when the perioperative mortality rate with the Ross procedure was

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of individual operator experience on transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) outcomes.TAVR volume-outcome relationships have not been evaluated at the individual operator level.New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System data from 8,771 transfemoral TAVR procedures performed by 207 operators between 2012 and 2016 were analyzed. Operator volume was defined as the number of TAVR procedures performed during 1 year prior to the index procedure. Hierarchical and restrictive cubic spline regression models were used to evaluate the impact of individual operator experience on risk-adjusted in-hospital outcomes. The primary outcome was a composite of in-hospital mortality, stroke, and/or acute myocardial infarction. Secondary outcomes were the individual components of the primary outcome.After adjusting for hospital and physician characteristics, patients undergoing TAVR performed by high-volume physicians (≥80/year) had a significantly lower risk for death, stroke, or acute myocardial infarction (odds ratio: 0.59; 95% confidence interval: 0.37 to 0.93) compared with those treated by low-volume physicians (24/year). Being treated by operators who performed 200 procedures during the prior year was associated with significantly lower risks for post-procedural stroke (odds ratio: 0.41; 95% confidence interval: 0.17 to 0.97) and composite events (odds ratio: 0.45; 95% confidence interval: 0.26 to 0.78). This relationship was nonlinear, and a sensitivity analysis excluding the first 10, 20, and 30 procedures for each operator mitigated the effect of the initial learning curve.Increased TAVR experience of operators is associated with improved risk-adjusted in-hospital outcomes. These results have potentially important implications for individual training and hospital programs in TAVR.

Reducing readmission after cardiac surgery remains a quality improvement priority yet most readmission risk models examine only coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Our objective was to develop a predictive risk score for readmission after discharge in cardiac surgery.All adults18 years undergoing isolated CABG, isolated/multiple valve, or combined CABG/valve surgery from 2008 to 2016 in Ontario were eligible. Risk factors for 30-day readmission after discharge were obtained through linkages of the CorHealth Ontario Cardiac Registry to other administrative health databases. Hazard ratios (HR) for risk factors were calculated using Cox proportional hazards regression with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). We developed a clinical risk scoring tool weighted by beta coefficients from the final model. Discrimination and calibration was performed using c-statistics and comparing the predicted with observed probabilities across deciles of predicted risk.A total of 63,336 patients underwent CABG and/or valve surgery from 2008 to 2016. The 30-day readmission rate was 11.5% overall. Patients who were readmitted were older with higher incidences of cardiac comorbidities compared with nonreadmitted patients. Significant risk factors for readmission from the final model were prolonged length of stay (HR: 1.45; 95% CI: 1.57, 1.86; P0.0001), isolated valve surgery (HR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.26, 1.44; P0.0001), in-hospital complications of sepsis (HR: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.05, 2.07; P = 0.024), and acute myocardial infarction (HR: 1.36; 95% CI: 1.09, 1.71; P = 0.007). A clinical risk scoring tool with 22 variables was derived that delineated patients into 1 of 5 risk quintiles. The c-statistic for the overall model was 0.63.Readmission after cardiac surgery is common and moderately predictable in this contemporary cohort.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Coronary artery disease is common in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on hemodialysis. ESRD patients are prone to atherosclerosis and are likely to present with advanced CAD requiring coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). RECENT FINDINGS Individual observational studies and aggregated results comparing PCI to CABG have shown an increased risk of early postoperative mortality in the CABG group followed by a decrease in late mortality and cardiovascular events. Drug eluting stents are preferred to bare metal stents in patients undergoing PCI. Bilateral versus single internal thoracic arterial grafting strategies showed no difference in survival, freedom from cardiac death or freedom from cardiac events. There was no clear survival advantage to off-pump CABG over on-pump CABG in ESRD patients. Evidence to support either CABG or PCI was limited to retrospective observational studies that were at risk for treatment allocation bias. SUMMARY CABG carries an upfront risk of increased perioperative mortality while demonstrating late survival benefit compared with PCI. Thus, in the context of balancing these competing risks and benefits, deciding on the most appropriate treatment in this high-risk cohort is challenging. Comprehensive patient evaluation by a multidisciplinary team is strongly recommended.

Background This meta‐analysis was designed to assess whether center experience affects the short‐ and long‐term results and the relative benefits of bilateral internal thoracic artery grafting (BITA) for coronary artery bypass grafting. Methods and Results MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched to identify all articles reporting the outcome of BITA in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. The BITA center experience was gauged according to the percentage use of BITA in the institutional overall coronary artery bypass grafting population (%BITA). The primary outcome was long‐term all‐cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were operative mortality, perioperative myocardial infarction, perioperative stroke, deep sternal wound infections (DSWIs), and major postoperative adverse event. The rates of the primary and secondary outcomes were calculated after adjusting for %BITA. Primary and secondary outcomes were also compared between the BITA and the single internal thoracic artery arms in the adjusted studies. Meta‐regression was used to evaluate the effect of %BITA on the primary and secondary outcomes. Thirty‐four studies (27 894 patients undergoing BITA) were included. In the pooled analysis, the incidence rate for long‐term mortality was 2.83% (95% confidence interval, 2.21%–3.61%). %BITA was significantly and inversely associated with long‐term mortality and the rate of DSWI. In the pairwise comparison, %BITA was significantly and inversely associated with the risk of long‐term mortality and DSWI in the group undergoing BITA. Conclusions BITA series with higher %BITA report significantly lower long‐term mortality and DSWI rate as well as higher long‐term survival advantage and lower relative risk of DSWI in their BITA cohort. These findings suggest that a specific volume‐outcome relationship exists for BITA grafting.

Background Surgical timing in infective endocarditis (IE) with preoperative neurological events remains controversial. The relevant society guidelines are each on the basis of a small number of observational studies. This meta-analysis was designed to search the available literature broadly and assess the weight of available evidence as comprehensively as possible. Methods We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE to April 2018 for studies that compared mortality or neurological exacerbation in early vs late surgery for IE complicated by neurological events. Random effects meta-analysis was performed. Results Twenty-seven observational studies (25 unadjusted, n = 879; 2 adjusted, n = 451) met inclusion criteria. Using early and late thresholds defined in each study (7 or 14 days), early surgery in ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke was associated with elevated perioperative mortality vs late surgery (pooled relative risk [RR], 1.74; 95% confidence interval, 1.34-2.25; P Conclusions Available observational data support delaying surgery by 7-14 days if possible in IE complicated by ischemic stroke and > 21 days in hemorrhagic stroke to decrease perioperative mortality and neurological exacerbation rates. Randomized trials are needed for definitive guidance.

Background The radial artery (RA) is a frequently used conduit for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). We review the results of the use of the RA in CABG patients and discuss the unique technical considerations when using this conduit. Methods A literature search was performed in PubMed through December 2017 on the comparative efficacy of the RA to other conduits and technical considerations for the use of the RA in CABG surgery. Results When compared to the saphenous vein graft, the RA proved to be superior in graft patency in multiple randomized clinical trials. The RA was associated with better clinical outcomes in observational studies. The debate over the second best arterial conduit remains unresolved between the RA and the right internal thoracic artery. Preoperative evaluation of the patient's coronary anatomy and the quality of the RA is imperative to achieve the best clinical outcome with RA grafting. Conclusion With careful preoperative planning and attention to technical details, the RA is an excellent choice as the second conduit for CABG surgery.

Background A recent clinical trial showed that self-expandable transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) was non-inferior to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). However, the cost-effectiveness of self-expandable TAVR in the intermediate-risk population remains unknown. Methods A cost-utility analysis from the Canadian health care system payer's perspective was undertaken to compare self-expandable TAVR with SAVR. A fully probabilistic Markov model over the patient's lifetime was constructed to estimate differences in costs (2016 Canadian dollars) and effectiveness (quality-adjusted life-years [QALYs]), discounted at 1.5% per annum. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated. Efficacy inputs were obtained from the Surgical Replacement and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation trial, and costs were primarily obtained from the Canadian Institute of Health Information. Probabilistic analysis (PA) and one-way deterministic sensitivity analyses were conducted around key point estimates to address uncertainty. Results In the base case analysis, with discounting, the total lifetime costs (mean ± standard deviation) in the TAVR and SAVR arms were $44,299 ± $7,260 and $32,994 ± $13,434, respectively, whereas total effectiveness values were 6.42 ± 1.33 QALYs and 6.28 ± 1.32 QALYs, respectively. This yielded an incremental cost of $11,305 and incremental effectiveness of 0.15 QALYs when TAVR was compared with SAVR for an ICER of $76,736/QALY. In the PA, there was moderate uncertainty, with 52.8% and 57.2% of simulations less than willingness-to-pay thresholds of $50,000 and $100,000, respectively. In the sensitivity analysis, when the cost of TAVR valve system was priced at $17,397 (base case $22,000 Canadian dollars), TAVR was found to be cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $50,000/QALY. Conclusions Self-expandable TAVR was found to be cost-effective; however, there was moderate uncertainty, reflecting the non-inferiority nature of the data.

Background Observational studies suggest a survival advantage with bilateral single internal thoracic artery (BITA) versus single internal thoracic artery grafting for coronary surgery, whereas this conclusion is not supported by randomized trials. We hypothesized that this inconsistency is attributed to unmeasured confounders intrinsic to observational studies. To test our hypothesis, we performed a meta‐analysis of the observational literature comparing BITA and single internal thoracic artery, deriving incident rate ratio for mortality at end of follow‐up and at 1 year. We postulated that BITA would not affect 1‐year survival based on the natural history of coronary artery bypass occlusion, so that a difference between groups at 1 year could not be attributed to the intervention. Methods and Results We searched MEDLINE and Pubmed to identify all observational studies comparing the outcome of BITA versus single internal thoracic artery. One‐year and long‐term mortality for BITA and single internal thoracic artery were compared in the propensity‐score–matched (PSM) series, that is, the form of observational evidence less prone to confounders. Thirty‐eight observational studies (174 205 total patients) were selected for final comparison. In the 12 propensity‐score–matched series (34 019 patients), the mortality reduction for BITA was similar at 1 year and at the end of follow‐up (incident rate ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval, 0.60–0.82 versus 0.77; 95% confidence interval, 0.70–0.85; P for subgroup difference=0.43). Conclusions Unmeasured confounders, rather than biological superiority, may explain the survival advantage of BITA in observational series.

Purpose of review There is a growing emphasis on the conduct of large-scale, multicenter randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to guide decision-making in cardiac surgery. Here we review recent landmark RCTs in cardiac valvular surgery. Recent findings RCTs are the gold-standard level of data in medicine. However, there are unique challenges of conducting large-scale surgical trials including funding, blinding, generalizability, nonstandardization of the surgical technique, crossover, among others. Thus, the vast majority of clinical outcomes data in cardiac surgery are mainly from observational studies and most prospective data are small, single-center trials. The Cardiothoracic Surgery Network is the largest platform focused on the conduct of high-quality, multicenter cardiac surgical trials, which has already produced several seminal guideline-changing and practice-changing contributions to the surgical approach to functional mitral regurgitation, aortic stenosis, atrial fibrillation, and neuroprotective surgical adjuncts. Summary There continues to be great interest in the conduct of high-quality, RCTs to help guide surgical management of patients with valvular heart disease.

Objective Although transcatheter aortic valve implantation has been shown to be noninferior to surgical aortic valve replacement in patients with severe aortic stenosis at intermediate surgical risk, the cost-effectiveness of this strategy in this population is unknown. Our objective was to conduct a cost-utility analysis comparing transcatheter aortic valve implantation with surgical aortic valve replacement in the population with intermediate risk severe aortic stenosis. Methods A fully probabilistic Markov model with 30-day cycles was constructed from the Canadian third-party payer's perspective to estimate the difference in cost and effectiveness (measured as quality-adjusted life years) of transcatheter aortic valve implantation versus surgical aortic valve replacement for intermediate-risk patients over a lifetime time horizon, discounted at 1.5% per annum. Clinical trial data from The Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valve 2 informed the efficacy inputs. Costs (adjusted to 2016 Canadian dollars) were obtained from the Canadian Institute of Health Information and the Ontario Schedule of Benefits. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were calculated. Results In the base-case analysis, total lifetime costs for transcatheter aortic valve implantation were $10,548 higher than surgical aortic valve replacement but added 0.23 quality-adjusted life years, for an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $46,083/quality-adjusted life-years gained. Deterministic 1-way analyses showed that the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was sensitive to rates of complications and cost of the transcatheter aortic valve implantation prosthesis. There was moderate-to-high parameter uncertainty; transcatheter aortic valve implantation was the preferred option in only 52.7% and 55.4% of the simulations at a $50,000 and $100,000 per quality-adjusted life years willingness-to-pay thresholds, respectively. Conclusions On the basis of current evidence, transcatheter aortic valve implantation may be cost-effective for the treatment of severe aortic stenosis in patients with intermediate surgical risk. There remains moderate-to-high uncertainty surrounding the base-case incremental cost-effectiveness ratio.

Paravalvular leak is a common complication occurring after transcatheter aortic valve implantation and is associated with at least a 2-fold increase in 30-day and 1-year mortality risk. In high-risk, inoperable patients with severe aortic stenosis, paravalvular leak may even negate the survival benefit of transcatheter aortic valve implantation. This editorial reviews the anatomy, pathophysiology and predictors of paravalvular leak and discusses preventative and therapeutic strategies to optimally treat this previously underappreciated complication.

A subset of patients who require correction of a stenotic or incompetent valve are deemed to be at excessive surgical risk, which precludes surgical repair or replacement. Transcatheter valve interventions are viable alternatives in these patients. However, these technologies are costly, and in the setting of a constrained Canadian health care budget, economic value is an important consideration to allow for fair allocation of scarce resources. Accordingly, we review the economic literature on transcatheter valve interventions, targeting a general audience. Our specific goals are highlighting how best to interpret these studies and discuss the implications of these technologies on the Canadian health care system. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a cost-effective alternative for inoperable patients who otherwise would receive medical therapy. When compared with surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), TAVR is associated with significant reductions in postprocedure hospital resource use, which offsets the substantially higher cost of the TAVR valve system relative to SAVR valves. Although cost-effectiveness estimates for TAVR in high-risk operable candidates vary widely across studies, based on contemporary data from the perspective of the Canadian health care system, TAVR is likely to provide economic value. Recent studies suggest that when compared with medical therapy for severe degenerative mitral regurgitation, the MitraClip (Abbott, Abbott Park, IL) may offer economic value in high-risk patients; however, in the absence of randomized controlled trials, this is speculative. Nonetheless, these transcatheter technologies represent a paradigm shift in the management of valvular disease; their dissemination will have substantial impact in cardiovascular care delivery.

This meta-analysis examines whether there is any advantage of coronary artery bypass graft with bilateral internal thoracic artery (BITA) as an in situ versus composite graft.We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE Databases from 1996 to 2016 for studies that compared coronary artery bypass graft with BITA as in situ versus composite graft. Data were extracted by 2 independent investigators and meta-analyzed with the use of random effects.Two randomized controlled trials (RCTs; n = 705), 2 matched (n = 1688), and 4 unadjusted observational studies (n = 3517) met inclusion criteria. Composite grafting trended towards greater distal anastomoses (+0.22, 95% confidence interval, -0.01 to +0.45 anastomoses/patient; P = .06 [4 unadjusted observational studies]) and greater distal anastomoses using an internal thoracic artery (+0.80, 95% confidence interval, 0.41-1.18 anastomoses/patient; P .001 [1 RCT]). There were no differences in perioperative or longer-term composite cardiovascular outcomes comparing in situ versus composite BITA or individual outcomes of mortality, repeat revascularization, myocardial infarction, and cardiovascular mortality. Pooled results differed by study type with pooled results from lower-risk-of-bias RCTs typically showing increases in events rates, and pooled results from higher-risk-of-bias unadjusted observational studies typically showing decreases in event rates of in situ versus composite BITA. Post hoc subgroup analysis suggested possible improvements in all-cause mortality and revascularization for in situ BITA in studies with short-term (5 years) versus longer-term follow-up, regardless of study type.Our meta-analysis found that use of BITA as a composite graft configuration facilitated greater internal thoracic artery revascularization but both grafting strategies offer similar clinical outcomes. Our study supports the use of in situ and composite BITA for select patients but high-quality, long-term prospective trials are needed.

Objective Surgical management of aortic valve infective endocarditis (IE) with cryopreserved homograft has been associated with lower risk of recurrent IE, but there is equipoise with regard to the optimal prosthesis. This systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to compare outcomes between homograft and conventional prosthesis for aortic valve IE. Methods We searched MEDLINE database to September 2017 for studies comparing homograft versus conventional prosthesis. The main outcomes were all-cause mortality, recurrent IE, and reoperation. Results There were 18 included comparative observational studies with 2232 patients (median follow up = 5 [interquartile range: 2–7] years, 30% prosthetic valve endocarditis); four studies were adjusted for baseline differences. There were no differences in perioperative mortality or stroke despite a greater proportion of staphylococcal endocarditis, abscess, and root replacements but less multivalve involvement in the homograft group. Long-term outcomes of all-cause mortality [incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 1.03, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.81–1.31, P = 0.83, for unmatched, and IRR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.36–1.84, P = 0.63, for matched studies], recurrent endocarditis (IRR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.53–1.93, P = 0.96, for unmatched, and IRR = 1.04, 95% CI = 0.49–2.19, P = 0.92, for matched studies), and reoperation (IRR = 1.60, 95% CI = 0.80–3.21, P = 0.18, for unmatched, and IRR = 3.17, 95% CI = 0.52–19.44, P = 0.21, for matched studies) were not different comparing homograft versus conventional prosthesis. There was a significantly increased need for reoperation with homograft versus mechanical prosthetic valves, but this comparison was based on limited data. Conclusions Homografts and conventional prostheses offer similar survival and freedom from recurrent endocarditis and reoperation for aortic valve IE. Homografts may be associated with greater risk of reoperation compared with mechanical valves.

Emergency rescue plans for acute complications during transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) commonly include cardiopulmonary resuscitation, femoro-femoral cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), and hemodynamic stabilization before definitive intervention is achieved. Nevertheless, most cases of emergency resuscitation remain chaotic and disorganized and often take longer than necessary, even in experienced centres. We sought to determine which factors and procedures may be associated with improved patient outcomes when emergencies arise during TAVI. MEDLINE® and EMBASE™ were searched with the following key words: “TAVI” or “TAVR” or “transcatheter valve implantation” or “transcatheter valve replacement” and “emergency cardiac surgery” or “conversion”. Two hundred seventeen articles met the criteria and were reviewed. Utilization of a formal emergency checklist by a multidisciplinary TAVI team may reduce procedural errors, smooth the transition to CPB, and ultimately speed the delivery of corrective measures including emergency cardiac surgery. A well-organized regularly-rehearsed emergency rescue plan that preassigns resuscitative roles may shorten the duration of patient instability and resuscitation and improve patient outcomes when catastrophe occurs in TAVI. The anesthesia team plays a central role in preventing, detecting, and treating intraprocedural complications during TAVI.

A 28-year-old left-handed woman presented to her family doctor with a six-month history of claudication in her left arm associated with pallor, paresthesia and coldness. She could no longer carry out her daily activities. Her arm pain was described as a “heaviness” and worsened with

Canadian, Inuit, full term infants have the highest rate of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection globally, which results in substantial costs associated hospitalisation.Decision-analytical techniques were used to estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for palivizumab compared to no prophylaxis for Inuit infants of all gestational age. The time horizon was that of life-time follow-up, and costs and effectiveness were discounted at 5% per year. Costs (2007 CAD$) for palivizumab, hospitalisation (including medical evacuation, intensive care unit [ICU]), physician visits, and transportation were calculated based on the Canadian payer's perspective. Benefits on decreasing RSV hospitalisation were expressed as quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA) were conducted, varying: mortality rates, utilities, length of stay in hospital and ICU.For all of Baffin Island infants (1 year), the ICER was $39,435/QALY. However, when infants were grouped by age and area of residence, those residing in Iqaluit (1 year) had an ICER of $152,145/QALY, while those residing in rural areas (outside of Iqaluit) had an ICER of $24,750/QALY. Prophylaxis was a dominant strategy (cost saving) for rural infants under 6 months of age, with the PSA demonstrating that it was dominant 98% of the time.The ICERs suggested that palivizumab is a cost-effective option for the prevention of RSV for Inuit infants on Baffin Island compared to no prophylaxis. Palivizumab is highly cost effective in Arctic infants1 year of age specifically residing outside of Iqaluit and is a dominant strategy for those under 6 months of age in rural areas. However, palivizumab is not cost effective compared to no treatment for infants of all ages residing in Iqaluit.

Background: The objectives were to compare actual respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) hospitalization rates and costs in a cohort of Inuit infants to hypothetical palivizumab prophylaxis strategies for infants of all gestational ages in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. Methods: Incidence and costs of RSV hospitalization were collected for infants admitted to the Baffin Regional Hospital in 2002, before the initiation of palivizumab. There was a comparison of the actual costs to the costs associated with 8 palivizumab strategies stratified by age (6 months, 1 year) and location (overall, town Iqaluit, rural communities). It was assumed that each category would receive universal palivizumab prophylaxis resulting in a 78% decrease in RSV admissions. The net costs incurred, number needed to treat (NNT), and incremental costs per hospitalization avoided were calculated for each comparison. Results: There was a great variation in the rates and costs associated with RSV admissions between Iqaluit and the communities. For infants 1 year of age residing in Iqaluit, the mean admission cost was $3915, and palivizumab prophylaxis had an NNT of 20.4 and cost of $162,551 per admission avoided. For rural infants 6 months, the mean cost of admission was $23,030, and palivizumab prophylaxis resulted in an NNT of 3.9 to 2.5 and cost savings of up to $8118 per admission avoided. Conclusions: Due to the high rates and costs associated with RSV admissions, administration of palivizumab in rural communities in the Canadian Arctic to infants less than 6 months of age could result in net cost savings.