An economic analysis of aspirin desensitization in aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease

Health states. Health states were defined for patients undergoing therapeutic desensitization for AERD and secondary cardiovascular (CV) prophylaxis. Health states belonged to a Markov model with a cycle length of 1 year. In each model cohorts assigned to competing therapies entered the model, and probabilities, costs, and utilities of potential outcomes were applied.

Sensitivity analyses. The dashed line represents base-case ICERs for each scenario. In the AERD therapeutic model (ICER for desensitization vs usual therapy), aspirin (ASA) desensitization was cost-effective across a wide range of assumptions. In the secondary cardiovascular (CV) prophylaxis model (ICER for the alternative agent clopidogrel vs desensitization), a threshold of cost-effective medical care is indicated by the hatched line at $100,000 per QALY. Although aspirin desensitization was less expensive, clopidogrel (alternative therapy) was marginally cost-effective.