[Cost effectiveness and budget impact analysis of inhaled nitric oxide in a neonatal unit from the perspective of the public health system].

Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) is currently the first-line therapy in severe hypoxaemic respiratory failure of the newborn. Most of regional neonatal centres in Chile do not have this therapeutic alternative.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the cost effectiveness of inhaled nitric oxide in the treatment of respiratory failure associated with pulmonary hypertension of the newborn compared to the usual care, including the transfer to a more complex unit.

PATIENTS AND METHOD: A clinical decision tree was designed from the perspective of Chilean Public Health Service. Incremental cost effectiveness rates (ICER) were calculated, deterministic sensitivity analysis was performed, and probabilistic budget impact was estimated using: TreeAge Pro Healthcare 2014 software.

RESULTS: The iNO option leads to an increase in mean cost of $ 11.7 million Chilean pesos (€15,000) per patient treated, with an ICER compared with the usual care of $23 million pesos (€30,000) in case of death or ECMO avoided. By sensitising the results by incidence, it was found that from 7 cases and upwards treated annually, inhaled nitric oxide is less costly than the transfer to a more complex unit.

CONCLUSIONS: From the perspective of a Chilean regional hospital, incorporating inhaled nitric oxide into the management of neonatal respiratory failure is the optimal alternative in most scenarios.