Comparing Total Hip Replacement Drug Treatments Based on Cost and Length of Stay

Abstract

Abstract. Drugs within three categories used in hip replacement surgery are compared based on their association with total hospital costs and length of stay. The drugs are also compared based on their associations with proportions of early readmissions. Multiple regression, logistic regression, chisquare tests, and multiple comparison techniques are used. The combination of warfarin and enoxaparin is associated with the highest cost and length of stay of the anticoagulants studied. There is no clear regional anesthesia drug used associated with the highest hospital cost and longest length of stay. Tranexamic acid is found to be associated with a smaller proportion of blood transfusions, a shorter length of stay, with no significant difference in cost found and no significant difference found in the proportion of early readmissions.