Inpatient silver sulphadiazine versus outpatient nanocrystalline silver models of care for pediatric scald burns: A value analysis

Abstract

Scalds represent the most frequent pediatric burn injury. Inpatient nonsurgical wound management of small or medium-size burns (<20% total body surface area) represents a significant proportion of the cost of care, with nanocrystalline silver (NCS) and silver sulphadiazine (SSD) among the most commonly used dressings. Although several articles have described healing outcomes using these dressings, there are few concurrent economic analyses. To analyze overall health care value (outcomes/cost) in burns not requiring surgery, the authors compared management of scald burns with NCS versus SSD from both a quality perspective and using bottom-up microcosting to determine which dressing option optimizes health care value. A value analysis was performed. Published studies investigating NCS and/or SSD in the treatment of pediatric burns over the past 25 years were analyzed. Healing time, hospital duration and frequency of dressings were chosen as quality metrics. A bottom-up microcosting analysis was performed to estimate costs associated with the two dressing options. Over the 25-year period, 356 studies investigated the use of SSD in burns, while 55 studies evaluated the use of NCS. Mean age and burn size were equivalent. Mean time to healing was 14.9 days for NCS and 17.2 days for SSD. The mean duration of hospital stay was 14.9 days for SSD and 5.9 days for NCS. Dressings were performed twice per week for NCS, and once or twice per day for SSD. The mean total cost per patient to the health care system was estimated to be $61,140 for SSD and $17,220 for NCS. Published outcomes of healing time are equivalent or slightly better using NCS over SSD for pediatric scalds. The financial model illustrated a potential significant cost saving with NCS, primarily as a result of an outpatient model of care. Overall health care value is optimized using NCS for pediatric scalds.