Direct Costs of Aspirin versus Warfarin for Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis after Total Knee or Hip Arthroplasty

Interest in aspirin as an alternative strategy for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis after arthroplasty has grown, as studies have suggested improved clinical efficacy and lower complication rates with aspirin compared to warfarin. The goal of this study was to compare the direct costs of an episode of arthroplasty care, when using aspirin instead of warfarin. The charts of patients who either received aspirin or warfarin after arthroplasty from January 2008 to March 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. Charges were recorded for their index admission, and for subsequent admissions related to either VTE or complications of prophylaxis. Multivariate analysis revealed that aspirin was an independent predictor of decreased cost of index hospitalization, and total episode of care charges, achieved largely through a shorter length of hospitalization.