Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32884963›Full record

ArticleJournal of health economics and outcomes research2020

Sternal-Wound Infections following Coronary Artery Bypass Graft: Could Implementing Value-Based Purchasing be Beneficial?

Dominique Brandt, Maximilian Blüher, Julie Lankiewicz, Peter J Mallow, Rhodri Saunders

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of health economics and outcomes research, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Sternal Complications After Clamshell Surgery for (Heart-)Lung Transplantation-A Systematic Literature Review.European journal of cardio-thoracic surgery : official journal of the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Observational
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Dominique BrandtHealth Economics & Clinical Outcomes Research, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
Maximilian BlüherCoreva Scientific, Königswinter, Germany.
Julie LankiewiczCardinal Health, Dublin, OH, USA.
Peter J MallowHealth Economics & Clinical Outcomes Research, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
Rhodri SaundersCoreva Scientific, Königswinter, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesSternal-wound infections (SWIs) are rare but consequential healthcare-healthcare-associated infections following coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). The impact of SWIs associated on the cost of health care provision is unknown. The aim of this study was to quantify the burden of CABG-related SWIs across countries with mature health care systems and estimate value-based purchasing (VBP) levels based on the local burden.

methodsA structured literature review identified relevant data for 14 countries (the Netherlands, France, Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Japan, Spain, the United States, Brazil, Israel, Taiwan, and Thailand). Data, including SWI rates, CABG volume, and length of stay, were used to populate a previously published Markov model that simulates the patient's CABG-care pathway and estimates the economic (US$) and care burden of SWIs for each country. Based on this burden, scenarios for VBP were explored for each country. A feasible cost of intervention per patient for an intervention providing a 20% reduction in the SWI rate was calculated.

resultsThe SWI burden varied considerably between settings, with SWIs occurring in 2.8% (the United Kingdom) to 10.4% (the Netherlands) of CABG procedures, while the costs per SWI varied between US$8172 (Brazil) to US$54 180 (Japan). Additional length of stay after SWI was the largest cost driver. The overall highest annual burden was identified in the United States (US$336 million) at a mean cost of US$36 769 per SWI. Given the SWI burden, the median cost of intervention per patient that a hospital could afford ranged from US$20 (US$13 to US$42) in France to US$111 (US$65 to US$183) in Japan.

conclusionsSWIs represent a large burden with a median cost of US$13 995 per case and US$900 per CABG procedure. By tackling SWIs, there is potential to simultaneously reduce the burden on health care systems and improve outcomes for patients. Mutually beneficial VBP agreements might be one method to promote uptake of novel methods of SWI prevention.

Indexed as

coronary artery bypass grafthealth care costshospital costsLOSSWI

Identifiers

PMID32884963
PMCPMC7458496

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.