Comparative cost-effectiveness of anticoagulation with bivalirudin or heparin with and without a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa-receptor inhibitor in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention in Sweden: a decision-analytic model.

Objective: This study modeled the comparative costs and effectiveness of anticoagulation with bivalirudin alone, heparin alone, and heparin combined with a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa-receptor inhibitor (GPI) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in Sweden.

Methods: GPIs are prescribed for -40% to 50% of patients undergoing PCI in Sweden. However, because treatment practices vary between hospitals, the model analyzed a cohort in which different proportions of patients (0%-100%) would receive a GPI in addition to heparin and the remaining patients would receive heparin monotherapy.