Clinical outcomes and treatment cost comparison of levalbuterol versus albuterol in hospitalized adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma

Luigi Brunetti; George Poiani; Fatema Dhanaliwala; Kristen Poppiti; Haenam Kang; Dong-Churl Suh

doi:10.2146/ajhp140551

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Clinical outcomes and treatment cost comparison of levalbuterol versus albuterol in hospitalized adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Clinical outcomes and treatment cost comparison of levalbuterol versus albuterol in hospitalized adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma

Luigi Brunetti, George Poiani, Fatema Dhanaliwala, Kristen Poppiti, Haenam Kang and Dong-Churl Suh

American journal of health-system pharmacy, Vol.72(12), pp.1026-1035

06/15/2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2146/ajhp140551

PMID: 26025994

Abstract

Adolescent

Adult

Aged

Albuterol - economics

Albuterol - therapeutic use

Asthma - drug therapy

Asthma - economics

Bronchodilator Agents - economics

Bronchodilator Agents - therapeutic use

Female

Hospitalization - economics

Humans

Length of Stay - economics

Levalbuterol - economics

Levalbuterol - therapeutic use

Male

Middle Aged

Prospective Studies

Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - drug therapy

Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - economics

Treatment Outcome

Young Adult

Results of a prospective study comparing clinical outcomes and costs of levalbuterol versus albuterol therapy for exacerbations of asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are presented. In a single-center open-label study, selected adults hospitalized for asthma or COPD exacerbations over a 21-month period were randomly assigned to receive levalbuterol 1.25 mg three times daily (n = 55) or albuterol 2.5 mg four times daily (n = 57); dosage reductions and other respiratory therapies were permitted. Study outcomes included scheduled and rescue nebulizations, total treatment costs, hospital length of stay, and change in heart rate from baseline. The numbers of scheduled nebulizations were similar in the levalbuterol and albuterol groups (mean ± S.D., 19.6 ± 13.4 versus 20.7 ± 14.4; p = 0.692), as were the numbers of rescue nebulizations (mean ± S.D., 0.7 ± 1.4 versus 0.8 ± 2.0; p = 0.849). The mean change from baseline in heart rate did not differ significantly between groups. Mean total treatment costs per patient were significantly greater with the use of levalbuterol ($8003, bootstrap 95% confidence interval [CI], $6628-$9379) versus albuterol ($5772, bootstrap 95% CI, $5051-$6494; p = 0.006). Hospital length of stay was significantly greater in the levalbuterol group (mean ± S.D., 8.5 ± 5.2 days versus 6.8 ± 3.6 days with albuterol use; p = 0.040). Clinical outcomes were similar with the use of levalbuterol versus albuterol for exacerbations of COPD or asthma. On average, patients receiving levalbuterol had longer and more costly hospital stays.

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Title: Clinical outcomes and treatment cost comparison of levalbuterol versus albuterol in hospitalized adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma
Creators: Luigi Brunetti - Luigi Brunetti, Pharm.D., M.P.H., is Clinical Associate Professor, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, and Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Internal Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital-Somerset, Somerville, NJ. George Poiani, M.D., FACP, FCCP, is Attending Physician, Department of Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital-Somerset, and Clinical Associate Professor, Division of Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ. Fatema Dhanaliwala, B.S.Pharm., is Pharmacy Supervisor, Department of Pharmacy, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital-Somerset. Kristen Poppiti, Pharm.D., is Postgraduate Year 1 Pharmacy Resident, Inova Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, VA; at the time of writing, she was a Pharm.D. student in the Honors Research Program at Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Haenam Kang, B.S., is Graduate Student, College of Pharmacy; and Dong-Churl Suh, M.B.A., Ph.D., is Professor, College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea
George Poiani - Luigi Brunetti, Pharm.D., M.P.H., is Clinical Associate Professor, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, and Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Internal Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital-Somerset, Somerville, NJ. George Poiani, M.D., FACP, FCCP, is Attending Physician, Department of Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital-Somerset, and Clinical Associate Professor, Division of Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ. Fatema Dhanaliwala, B.S.Pharm., is Pharmacy Supervisor, Department of Pharmacy, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital-Somerset. Kristen Poppiti, Pharm.D., is Postgraduate Year 1 Pharmacy Resident, Inova Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, VA; at the time of writing, she was a Pharm.D. student in the Honors Research Program at Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Haenam Kang, B.S., is Graduate Student, College of Pharmacy; and Dong-Churl Suh, M.B.A., Ph.D., is Professor, College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea
Fatema Dhanaliwala - Luigi Brunetti, Pharm.D., M.P.H., is Clinical Associate Professor, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, and Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Internal Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital-Somerset, Somerville, NJ. George Poiani, M.D., FACP, FCCP, is Attending Physician, Department of Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital-Somerset, and Clinical Associate Professor, Division of Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ. Fatema Dhanaliwala, B.S.Pharm., is Pharmacy Supervisor, Department of Pharmacy, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital-Somerset. Kristen Poppiti, Pharm.D., is Postgraduate Year 1 Pharmacy Resident, Inova Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, VA; at the time of writing, she was a Pharm.D. student in the Honors Research Program at Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Haenam Kang, B.S., is Graduate Student, College of Pharmacy; and Dong-Churl Suh, M.B.A., Ph.D., is Professor, College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea
Kristen Poppiti - Luigi Brunetti, Pharm.D., M.P.H., is Clinical Associate Professor, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, and Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Internal Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital-Somerset, Somerville, NJ. George Poiani, M.D., FACP, FCCP, is Attending Physician, Department of Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital-Somerset, and Clinical Associate Professor, Division of Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ. Fatema Dhanaliwala, B.S.Pharm., is Pharmacy Supervisor, Department of Pharmacy, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital-Somerset. Kristen Poppiti, Pharm.D., is Postgraduate Year 1 Pharmacy Resident, Inova Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, VA; at the time of writing, she was a Pharm.D. student in the Honors Research Program at Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Haenam Kang, B.S., is Graduate Student, College of Pharmacy; and Dong-Churl Suh, M.B.A., Ph.D., is Professor, College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea
Haenam Kang - Luigi Brunetti, Pharm.D., M.P.H., is Clinical Associate Professor, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, and Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Internal Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital-Somerset, Somerville, NJ. George Poiani, M.D., FACP, FCCP, is Attending Physician, Department of Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital-Somerset, and Clinical Associate Professor, Division of Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ. Fatema Dhanaliwala, B.S.Pharm., is Pharmacy Supervisor, Department of Pharmacy, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital-Somerset. Kristen Poppiti, Pharm.D., is Postgraduate Year 1 Pharmacy Resident, Inova Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, VA; at the time of writing, she was a Pharm.D. student in the Honors Research Program at Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Haenam Kang, B.S., is Graduate Student, College of Pharmacy; and Dong-Churl Suh, M.B.A., Ph.D., is Professor, College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea
Dong-Churl Suh - Luigi Brunetti, Pharm.D., M.P.H., is Clinical Associate Professor, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, and Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Internal Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital-Somerset, Somerville, NJ. George Poiani, M.D., FACP, FCCP, is Attending Physician, Department of Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital-Somerset, and Clinical Associate Professor, Division of Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ. Fatema Dhanaliwala, B.S.Pharm., is Pharmacy Supervisor, Department of Pharmacy, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital-Somerset. Kristen Poppiti, Pharm.D., is Postgraduate Year 1 Pharmacy Resident, Inova Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, VA; at the time of writing, she was a Pharm.D. student in the Honors Research Program at Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Haenam Kang, B.S., is Graduate Student, College of Pharmacy; and Dong-Churl Suh, M.B.A., Ph.D., is Professor, College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea. dongsuh75@gmail.com
Publication Details: American journal of health-system pharmacy, Vol.72(12), pp.1026-1035
Date published: 06/15/2015
Academic Unit: Pharmacy Practice and Administration (EMSOP)
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article
Identifiers: 991031665808004646