Cost effectiveness of thrombolytic treatment for myocardial infarction: comparison of anistreplase, alteplase and streptokinase in 270 patients treated within 4 hours

Two hundred and seventy patients, under 71 years of age andsuffering from a less than 4 h infarction diagnosed accordingto clinical and electrocardiographic criteria, were included.two 90-patient groups were randomized and then treated witheither anistreplase (30 mg iv over 5 min) or alteplase (10 mgbolus injection + 5000 IU heparin bolus injection, followedby 90 mg alteplase over 3 h), and compared with a consecutivecontrol series of 90 patients treated with streptokinase (1.5million U over 1 h). Intravenous heparin and aspirin (250 mgday^–1) were then prescribed routinely. The three groupswere comparable as regards age (55.2±10 years), male/femaleratio (10.4 the site of the infarction (42% anterior, 55% inferior)and initial clinical seriousness (Killip I=90%, II=8%, III=2%).The patients were thombolysed in 17 community hospitals, andthen referred to a university hospital with catheterizationfacilities. An efficacy score was determined, based on fourparameters: two obtained from coronary angiography and leftventriculography performed on day 6±2 (N = 252) (asynergicscore and patency of the infarct-related artery), one from Tl-tomographyperformed at rest (infarct size) and one from radionuclide angiography(global left ventricular ejection fraction) performed betweenday 15 and day 21 (N = 242). The score (range: 0–24 perpatient) was 17.8±6.4 for alteplase, 17.7±6.0for anistreplase and 18.1±6.0 for streptokinase respectively(NS). The real cost of the hospital phase, for each patient,was determined by adding up the cost of thrombolytic treatment(ranging from 1.7% of the total hospital cost for streptokinaseto 16% for alteplase), other treatment and biological examinations(10% of the total cost), coronary angiography, followed in 35%of patients by angioplasty (21% of the overall cost) and hospitalization(ranging from 49% of the total cost for alteplase and anistreplaseto 56% for streptokinase NS] for an average 17-day hospitalization.Thus, the total cost of the hospital phase was 6460 ECU foralteplase, 6570 ECU for anistreplase and 6050 ECU for streptokinase(NS). The cost/efficacy ratio was 548 ECU for alteplase, 570ECU for anistreplase and 405 ECU for streptokinase. Secondarymortality and re-infarction rates were very low (1.2% and 1.5%respectively) after 1 year following the treatment. However,ischaemia recurred in 23% of patients, requiring revascularizationoperations in 9% of them. Sixty-nine per cent of patients withprofessional occupations were able to resume these activities. This study showed no difference in efficacy between the threethrombolytic agents for the three left ventricular parameters(left ventricular ejection fraction, asynergic score, necroticmass) and for the patency of the infarct-related artery, andalso demonstrated that the cost of the thrombolytic agent hadrelatively little effect on the total cost of myocardial infarction.There could be a potential saving by shortening hospitalization,which accounted for half the cost of thrombolysed myocardialinfarction.