ESPEN 2013 - Late breaking abstract submission

Late Breaking Abstract

ESPEN13-1846

POTENTIAL OF OMEGA-3 FATTY ACID IN PARENTERAL NUTRITION IN GERMANY: A BUDGET IMPACT ANALYSIS

L. Pradelli ^1,*M. Povero ¹

¹ADRES HEALTH ECONOMICS AND OUTCOMES RESEARCH, Torino, Italy

Rationale: The costs to the German hospitals of intensive care (ICU) patients and of surgical patients not admitted to the ICU were estimated in a previous cost-effectiveness analysis of omega-3 FA-supplemented compared to standard PN regimens. The supplementation with Omega-3 FA results in shorter LOS and reduced infection rate, with cost savings for 3,277 € per ICU patient and 1,515 € per not-ICU patients. We aimed to estimate the economic consequences of increasing the rate of omega-3 fatty acids (FA) supplemented parenteral nutrition (PN) regimens in German hospitals

Methods: IMS-data recorded about 3 million lipid-containing PN days for Germany; the total number of patients in ICU or in ward receiving PN with lipids was estimated on average PN duration from the cost-effectiveness analysis The costs related to the current use of omega-3 FA (about 29% of total lipid PN days) were compared with those expected with increasing percentages of omega-3 FA-containing PN rates.

Results: The yearly cost of the patient population (104,022 ICU patients and 427,986 not-ICU patients) treated with current PN regimens mix amounts to about 6 billion Euro. The increase of omega-3 FA-containing PN proportion up to 50% results in a saving of about 210 million Euro (2.7%); the exclusive use of omega-3 FA-containing PN regimes results in savings of 704 million Euro (11.6%). Encouraging omega-3 FA supplemented PN regimens is expected to save costs, because the use is associated with a reduction in hospital LOS (~ 850,000 days saved in the best scenario) and the number of nosocomial infections (~ 40,000 infections avoided in the best scenario).

Conclusion: The potential of PN including omega-3 FAs in contributing to an improved quality of care/patient recovery and significant cost savings is not fully exploited in German hospitals. 

Disclosure of Interest: L. Pradelli Grant / Research Support from: Fresenius Kabi GmbhM. Povero Other: AdRes employee

Keywords: EconomicsOmega 3 fatty acids