Table 1

A summary of cost effectiveness data from five major primary percutaneous coronary intervention publications

Study name	Setting	Design	Initial costs measured	Follow up costs measured	Results
Reeder et al 1994⁵	USA	Randomised to either t-PA or primary angioplasty; n = 99	Hospital stay, all diagnostic or therapeutic procedures	Costs over 12 months including indirect costs such as lost employment days	No significant difference in initial or follow up costs. Trend towards fewer late in-hospital procedures and shorter hospital stay in the primary angioplasty group
de Boer et al 1995²	Netherlands	Randomised to either streptokinase or primary angioplasty; n = 301	Hospital stay, angiography, angioplasty, coronary bypass surgery, thrombolysis	Costs over 12 months, additional hospital stay and cardiac procedures, cardiac medication only	Higher in-hospital costs with primary angioplasty but no significant difference in costs at 12 months
Stone et al 1997⁶	USA	Randomised to either t-PA or primary PCI; n = 358	Hospital charges from index admission, professional, cardiology and cardiac surgery fees	2 year resource consumption was approximated by tabulating hospital readmissions and major clinical events	Trend towards lower initial charges associated with primary PCI. Significantly lower if professional fees excluded
Suryapranata et al 2001³	Netherlands	Randomised to either primary stenting or balloon angioplasty; n = 227	Hospital stay, all diagnostic or therapeutic procedures	Costs over 24 months. Limited to cardiac hospital admissions and cardiac outpatient visits and diagnostic tests	Higher initial costs with stenting but no difference at 24 months
Le May et al 2003⁷	Canada	Randomised to either t-PA or primary stenting; n = 123	Hospital stay, all diagnostic and therapeutic procedures	6 month follow up, subsequent hospital stay and all diagnostic and therapeutic procedures	Significant reduction in costs of initial hospitalisation and costs at 6 months in favour of primary stenting