Center for Advanced Pelvic Surgery, Belleville, IL 62801, USA.

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The aim of this study was to examine treatment modalities, health care resource utilization, and costs in patients diagnosed with interstitial cystitis (IC).

Patients with a diagnosis of IC were identified from a national managed care administration claims database and classified into treatment cohorts. All-cause health care resource utilization and costs were calculated by treatment cohort.

Patients treated with narcotics plus nonnarcotic analgesics were associated with higher mean health care costs. Patient cohorts treated with some of the more common oral therapies for interstitial cystitis, including pentosan polysulfate sodium, amitriptyline, and hydroxyzine, were associated with lower costs. Physician visits were fewest among patients treated with pentosan polysulfate sodium plus amitriptyline and hydroxyzine. Physician visits were higher for cohorts that included dimethyl sulfoxide plus cystoscopy or bladder irrigation, or narcotics plus nonnarcotic analgesics.

Interstitial cystitis is associated with substantial costs and health care resource utilization.

Written by
Stanford EJ, Chen A, Wan GJ, Lunacsek OE, Sand PK.

Reference
Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2008 Jul;199(1):71.e1-10.
doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2008.02.048

PubMed Abstract
PMID:18585523

Supplemental Commentary:
It appears that disease specific treatment and understanding all of the potential sources of the patients chronic pelvic pain lead to more cost effective treatment. If cost is a proxy for success, narcotics lead to higher healthcare utilization and cost and should be considered an ineffective choice for most IC patients.

UroToday.com IC/PBS/BPS Section

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