Objective: To estimate the cost-consequence of treating spasticity early with botulinum toxin in the acute stroke unit.
Design: Secondary cost-consequence analysis, using data from a double-blind randomised-controlled trial.
Setting: Single-centre specialised stroke unit.
Subjects and interventions: Patients with Action Research Arm Test grasp-score of <2 and who developed spasticity within six weeks of a first stroke were randomised to receive injections of: 0.9% sodium-chloride solution (placebo) or onabotulinumtoxin-A (treatment).
Main measures: Resource use costs were calculated for the study. Mean contracture costs for each group were calculated. The Barthel Index and Action Research Arm Test were used to generate a cost per unit of improvement.
Results: There were no significant differences associated with early treatment use. The mean contracture cost for the treatment group was £817 and for the control group was £2298 (mean difference = -£1481.1(95% CI -£2893.5, -£68.7) (p = 0.04). The cost per unit of improvement for the Barthel Index was -£1240 indicating that the intervention costs less and is more effective. The cost per unit of improvement for the Action Research Arm Test was -£450 indicating that the intervention costs less and is more effective.
Conclusions: Treating spasticity early in stroke patients at risk of contractures with botulinum toxin leads to a significant reduction in contracture costs. The cost per improvement of Barthel and Action Research Arm Test indicates that the intervention costs less and is more effective.
Trial registration data: EudraCT(2010-021257-39) and ClinicalTrials.gov-Identifier:NCT01882556.
Keywords: Stroke; botulinum toxin; economic evaluation; spasticity.