Cost-benefit analysis of preventing sudden cardiac deaths with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator versus amiodarone.

Objectives: To conduct a cost-benefit assessment of prevention of sudden cardiac deaths with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) versus amiodarone from the perspective of the health-care systems in the UK and France.

Methods: Course after implantation with an ICD or taking amiodarone was modeled using discrete event simulation; 1000 pairs of identical patients were simulated 100 times for each analysis. Rates of life-threatening arrhythmia and death from other causes were assumed identical, but the case fatality of arrhythmia and hospitalization differ between treatments.