Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a hematological disorder and can be classified as acute or chronic. The main goal of treatment for acute childhood ITP is the prevention of potentially fatal bleeding complications, the most serious of which is intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). Treatment options for acute childhood ITP include splenectomy, corticosteroids, and blood products such as intravenous immunoglobulin.
The objective was to evaluate, from a Canadian perspective, the cost-effectiveness of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) compared to alternative inpatient treatments for acute childhood idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP).
A Markov model with a lifelong time horizon was used to evaluate the costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) for 5 treatments for children hospitalized for ITP: 1) no treatment; 2) IVIG; 3) Anti-D; 4) prednisone; and 5) methylprednisolone. The model predicted the probability of intracranial hemorrhage for each treatment strategy based on the time children spent with platelet counts