Patient’s age rather than severity of the arrhythmia influences the cost of medical treatment of atrioventricular nodal or atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia

PURPOSE: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is considered the treatment of choice in cases of atrioventricular nodal reciprocating tachycardia (AVNRT) and atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia (AVRT). Published studies suggest a considerable time gap between the onset of the arrhythmia, correct diagnosis, and RFA which may reach 10–15 years. The cost of medical treatment during that period may be substantial. The aim of the study was to calculate the annual direct medical cost of medical treatment of patients with AVNRT and AVRT and identify potential factors influencing this cost. METHODS: Based on the consumption of particular resources and the unit costs of services in 2013, we calculated the annual direct medical cost of care for patients with AVNRT and AVRT in Poland. We adopted the public payer’s and societal perspectives. Data on health resources was collected with a structured questionnaire and medical records of patients scheduled for RFA. Additional analyses were performed to identify factors influencing this cost. RESULTS: We enrolled 82 patients: mean age 43.9 ± 14.1 years old and mean symptom duration before the RFA 13.0 ± 11.3 years. The median annual cost of medical treatment was 546 USD [312–957], 411 € [278–786], and 616 USD [369–1044], 464 € [235–721], for the public payer and the common perspective, respectively, with hospitalizations being the main cost component. In multivariate analysis, only the age of the patient significantly influenced this cost. CONCLUSIONS: The annual cost of medical treatment of AVNRT or AVRT is substantial and dependent on the age of the patient rather than the severity of the arrhythmia (NCT01594814).