St Jude Medical announced that data presented during the 35th Heart Rhythm Society’s Annual Scientific Sessions (7–10 May, San Francisco, USA), found that the use of quadripolar leads reduced the number of hospitalisations by 53% when compared to the non-quadripolar group. This hospitalisation rate reduction translated into a statistically significant 62% reduction in overall costs for both health care systems and patients.
The Hospitalisation Rates and Associated Cost Analysis of Quadripolar versus Bipolar CRT-D: a comparative analysis of a single-center prospective Italian registry presentation includes data that demonstrated hospitalisation rates for the quadripolar group were lower than the non-quadripolar group and patients with the St Jude Medical Quartet Quadripolar left ventricular leadand had a 98% probability of having lower costs than patients with non-quadripolar leads. The study showed that use of the quadripolar left ventricular lead was associated with significantly reduced hospitalisations specific to the two types of hospitalisations studied: heart failure and left ventricular lead surgical revision.
“These data are compelling evidence as they show a significant cost saving for the health care system and patients utilising the St Jude Medical quadripolar pacing system,” says Giovanni Forleo, electrophysiologist at the University Hospital of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy. “This study showed a strong cost benefit, further demonstrating why quadripolar technology is becoming the standard-of-care for patients requiring CRT therapy.”
The prospective, single-centre, observational registry was a first-time evaluation of hospitalisation rates and cost reduction following cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) with quadripolar versus non-quadripolar left ventricular leads. Over three years, 198 patients implanted with either a St Jude Medical Quartet Quadripolar left ventricular lead or a non-quadripolar left ventricular lead, were enrolled in the study. The goal of the study was to compare the hospitalisation rate related to heart failure and left ventricular lead surgical revisions between the Quartet quadripolar lead and a traditional bipolar lead for cardiac resynchronisation therapy defibrillators (CRT-D).
