Cost-effectiveness of the TherMax blood warmer during continuous renal replacement therapy

Hypothermia is a common adverse event during continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), affecting multiple organ systems and increasing risk of poor health outcomes among patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) undergoing CRRT. TheraMax blood warmers are the next generation of extracorporeal blood warmers which reduce risk of hypothermia during CRRT. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the potential health economic impacts of avoiding CRRT-induced hypothermia by using the novel TherMax blood warming device. This study compares health care costs associated with use of the new TherMax blood warmer unit integrated with the PrisMax system compared to CRRT with a standalone blood warming device to avoid hypothermia in continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). An economic model was developed in which relevant health states for each intervention were normothermia, hypothermia, discharge, and death. Clinical inputs and costs were obtained from a combination of retrospective chart review and publicly available summary estimates. The proportion of AKI patients treated with CRRT who became hypothermic (<36 degrees C) during CRRT treatment was 34.5% in the TherMax group compared to 71.9% in the 'standalone warmer' group. Given the 78.7-year average life expectancy in the US and the assumed average patient age at discharge/death of 65.4 years, the total life-years gained by avoiding mortality related to hypothermia was 9.0 in the TherMax group compared to 8.0 in the 'standalone warmer' group. Cost per life-year gained was $8,615 in the TherMax group versus $10,115 in the 'standalone warmer' group for a difference of -$1,501 favoring TherMax. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was negative, indicating superior cost-effectiveness for TherMax versus 'standalone warmer'. The TherMax blood warming device used with the PrisMax system is associated with lower risk of hypothermia, which our model indicates leads to lower costs, lower risk of mortality due to hypothermia, and superior cost-effectiveness.