Efecto de las combinaciones salbutamol-ipratropio y salbutamol-tiotropio inhalados y teofilina vía oral en pacientes con EPOC. Análisis de costo/efectividad

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd) affects approximately 600 million people around the world, 2.7 million die every year, and globally it represents the fourth cause of death, although a preventable one. the annual $ 1, 876 to 2, 000 us dollars cost of the disease and the money spent during an exacerbation can represent a catastrophic expense for the family and society; this makes the ambulatory treatment of copd of the outmost importance. in this prospective, longitudinal, observational and descriptive study, we analyzed the cost, number of exacerbations and hospitalizations of three groups of out-patients: group i, 32 patients, inhaled salbutamol + ipratropium; group ii, 33 patients, inhaled salbutamol + tiotropium; group iii, 15 patients, oral teophylline. the analysis showed that group ii was the least costly and with the lowest number of disease exacerbations and hospitalizations.