Cost Utility of Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide Monitoring for the
Management of Children Asthma
Abstract
Introduction Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a simple,
noninvasive measurement of airway inflammation with minimal discomfort
to the patient and with results available with a few minutes. This study
aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the Fractional exhaled
nitric oxide in asthma. Methods A markov model was used to estimate the
cost-utility of FeNO versus standard treatment (control group) an infant
with mild to moderate allergic asthma. Cost data were obtained from a
retrospective study on asthma from tertiary center, in Medellin,
Colombia, while utilities were collected from the literature. The
analysis was carried out from a societal perspective. Results The model
showed that FeNO, was associated with lower total cost than SC (US
$1333 vs US $1452 average cost per patient), and higher QALYs (0.93
vs. 0.92 average per patient); showing dominance. The probability that
MS provides a more cost-effective use of resources compared with
standard therapy exceeds 99% for all willingness to pay thresholds
Conclusion FeNO was cost-effective for the hospital treatment of an
infant with infant with mild to moderate allergic asthma. Our study
provides evidence that should be used by decision-makers to improve
clinical practice guidelines and should be replicated to validate their
results in other middle-income countries.