ABSTRACT
STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of a cost containment program on the use of volatile anesthetics and neuromuscular blocking drugs. DESIGN: Historical, controlled, retrospective analysis. SETTING: Main operating rooms of an adult general hospital at a university medical center. PATIENTS: All patients undergoing anesthesia between July 1991 and November 1993. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Cost per case was determined by dividing the monthly expenditure for each class of drug by the caseload for that month. Cost per case of volatile anesthetic drugs decreased from $19.20 +/- 1.16 to $15.16 +/- 0.39 (p = 0.0034 by unpaired t-test). For neuromuscular blocking drugs, cost per case decreased from $19.67 +/- 1.35 to $12.23 +/- 0.66 (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Concerted educational efforts can decrease the per case expenditures for both volatile anesthetic drugs and neuromuscular blocking drugs.
