Activated protein C: cost-effective or costly?

Activated protein C: cost-effective or costly?

The authors offer a commentary on the study by Dhainaut et al. on the cost-effectiveness of activated protein C in severe sepsis. Using data from "real world" conditions, the results of this economic evaluation are consistent with previous analyses, and highlight the need for "real world" investigations of new health technologies in critical care.

Coronary stenting: costly or cost-effective?

In today's health care climate, decisions about new technologies need to reflect measures of cost as well as clinical benefit. By estimating the cost-effectiveness ratio for a new treatment compared to a current standard (e.g., stenting as compared to conventional PTCA), it is possible to decide whether the new treatment represents an efficient use of limited health care resources. In this anal...

Activated protein C was cost-effective for prolonging survival in a subgroup of patients with severe sepsis.

Activated protein C and sepsis.

Protein C is a plasma protease that when activated plays a central role in modulating the function of the vascular endothelium and its interface with the innate immune system. A recombinant form of human activated protein C (APC), drotrecogin alfa (activated), has shown efficacy in a number of preclinical models of thrombosis and ischemia and reduces mortality in patients that have a high risk ...

Activated protein C and sepsis

Activated protein C (APC) has emerged as a novel therapeutic agent for use in selected patients with severe sepsis, even though the mechanism of its benefit is not well established. APC has anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, and profibrinolytic properties, but it is not clear through which of these mechanisms APC exerts its benefit in severe sepsis. Focus has recently turned to th...