Table 5. Cost/Patient (Equals Incidence of Complications [Table 2] Multiplied by Cost of Complication [Table 4]) Related to Epidural Analgesia
Values in parentheses =“negative cost”—epidural analgesia is associated with lower incidence of this outcome so this cost is credited to intravenous analgesia.
*Range is defined as range of values from product of (low estimate for probability of complication) (low estimate of cost of complication) to product of (high estimate for probability of complication), (high estimate of cost of complication). Example: postdural puncture headache: low range = (0.5%) ($100) − high range = (3%) ($1,500)
† Assume a 5% absolute increase in backache from epidural analgesia. (5%) ($114) = $5.7.
‡ Assume a 5% absolute increase in urinary retention from epidural analgesia. (5%) ($134) = $6.7.
§ Assume a 4% absolute increase in incidence of cesarean section from epidural analgesia. (4%) ($5141 − 3117 (incremental cost of cesarean section)) + (4%) ($304 − 238) (incremental pro fee)) = $85.04.
∥ Failure rate cost assumes that hypothetical patients are subject to risks of complications and costs from epidural placement, without the benefit of improved analgesia.