Cost-Effectiveness of Cranberry Capsules to Prevent Urinary Tract Infection in Long-Term Care Facilities: Economic Evaluation with a Randomized Controlled Trial

• Autores: Wilbert B. van den Hout, Monique A. A. Caljouw, Hein Putter, Herman Cools, Jacobijn Gussekloo
• Localización: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, ISSN 0002-8614, Vol. 62, Nº. 1, 2014, págs. 111-116
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Objectives: To investigate whether the preventive use of cranberry capsules in long-term care facility (LTCF) residents is cost-effective depending on urinary tract infection (UTI) risk.

    Design: Economic evaluation with a randomized controlled trial.

    Setting: Long-term care facilities.

    Participants: LTCF residents (N = 928, 703 female, median age 84), stratified according to UTI risk.

    Measurements: UTI incidence (clinically or strictly defined), survival, quality of life, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and costs.

    Results: In the weeks after a clinical UTI, participants showed a significant but moderate deterioration in quality of life, survival, care dependency, and costs. In high-UTI-risk participants, cranberry costs were estimated at �439 per year (1.00 euro = 1.37 U.S. dollar), which is �3,800 per prevented clinically defined UTI (95% confidence interval = �1,300�infinity). Using the strict UTI definition, the use of cranberry increased costs without preventing UTIs. Taking cranberry capsules had a 22% probability of being cost-effective compared with placebo (at a willingness to pay of �40,000 per QALY). In low-UTI-risk participants, use of cranberry capsules was only 3% likely to be cost-effective.

    Conclusion: In high-UTI-risk residents, taking cranberry capsules may be effective in preventing UTIs but is not likely to be cost-effective in the investigated dosage, frequency, and setting. In low-UTI-risk LTCF residents, taking cranberry capsules twice daily is neither effective nor cost-effective.