• Alex Torborg, Lisa Ryan, Gary Kantor, and Bruce M Biccard.
• Perioperative Research Group, Department of Anaesthetics, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal and Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, Durban, South Africa. alexandra@iafrica.com.
• S. Afr. Med. J. 2014 Jul 22; 104 (9): 619-23.

BackgroundA postoperative troponin leak that was previously considered clinically insignificant has been independently associated with 30-day mortality in unselected surgical patients ≥45 years of age following non-cardiac surgery.ObjectivesTo determine whether routine troponin surveillance following non-cardiac surgery and initiation of aspirin and statin therapy in troponin-positive patients is cost-effective.MethodsPharmacoeconomic analysis to determine the cost-effectiveness of routine postoperative surveillance for patients aged ≥45 years undergoing non-cardiac surgery. We compared the total expected cost of hospital care of patients who received routine troponin surveillance and subsequent introduction of statin and aspirin therapy for 30 days in troponin-positive patients with the cost of hospital care of patients who did not receive troponin surveillance. We estimated a 25% relative risk reduction following statin and aspirin therapy for postoperative vascular mortality and non-fatal myocardial infarction.ResultsRoutine troponin surveillance with initiation of aspirin and statin therapy was cost-effective, with an incremental cost of -R16,724 per event avoided.ConclusionRoutine postoperative troponin surveillance in non-cardiac surgical patients ≥45 years of age requiring a postoperative night in hospital is potentially cost-effective.

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