Single Intravenous Dose Dalbavancin Pathway for the Treatment of Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infections: Considerations for Emergency Department Implementation and Cost Savings

Background

A pathway for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) with a single intravenous (IV) dose of dalbavancin was previously shown to reduce hospital admissions and shorten inpatient length of stay (LOS).

Objectives

To describe pathway implementation at the emergency department (ED) and evaluate cost-effectiveness of a single-dose dalbavancin administered to ED patients who would otherwise be hospitalized to receive usual care with multidose IV antibiotics.

Methods

The dalbavancin pathway was previously implemented at 11 U.S. EDs (doi:10.1111/acem.14258). Patients with ABSSSI, without an unstable comorbidity or infection complication requiring complex management, were treated with a single dose of dalbavancin. At the emergency physicians’ discretion, patients were either discharged and received outpatient follow-up or were hospitalized for continued management. A decision analytic cost-effectiveness model was developed from the U.S. healthcare's perspective to evaluate costs associated with the dalbavancin pathway compared with inpatient usual care. Costs (2021 USD) were modeled over a 14-day horizon and included ED visits, drug costs, inpatient stay, and physician visits. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses examined input parameter uncertainty.

Results

Driven largely by the per diem inpatient cost and LOS for usual care, the dalbavancin pathway was associated with savings of $5133.20 per patient and $1211.57 per hospitalization day avoided, compared with inpatient usual care. The results remained robust in sensitivity and scenario analyses.

Conclusion

The new single-dose dalbavancin ED pathway for ABSSSI treatment, which was previously implemented at 11 U.S. EDs, offers robust cost savings compared to inpatient usual care.