Poirier V L
Thermo Cardiosystems Inc., Woburn, MA 01888-2697.
ASAIO Trans. 1991 Oct-Dec;37(4):540-4.
Congestive heart failure afflicts 4 million people in the United States, with 400,000 deaths annually. Very little can be done for individuals with this condition, which is increasing in prevalence. The only hope is the promise of intervention with permanent circulatory support systems. Can we as a society afford the $3.1 billion that would be required to support every patient needing such a system? This cost represents an increase of 1/2 of 1% of the $662 billion per year expended for medical care. Fortunately, circulatory support systems do not necessarily represent an expense, but rather an investment that has a reasonable payback period. An investment in an individual of $100,000 for the device and implantation cost, coupled with an ongoing maintenance cost of $4,000 per year, can return to society an income greater in value than the investment. The payback period is strongly dependent on the earning power of the individual, as well as the amount of medical attention or complications experienced. An individual with an annual salary of $40,000 per year becomes a positive financial force in our society and increases the gross national product (GNP) within 5 years. The same individual with extensive medical complications and intermittent loss of salary can extend the payback period by an additional 2 years. Circulatory support systems have the potential of increasing our GNP, leading to a higher standard of living for the populace.
在美国，充血性心力衰竭困扰着400万人，每年有40万人死亡。对于患有这种疾病的人几乎无能为力，而且其患病率还在上升。唯一的希望是使用永久性循环支持系统进行干预。作为一个社会，我们能否负担得起为每个需要这种系统的患者提供支持所需的31亿美元？这笔费用占每年6620亿美元医疗支出的0.5%。幸运的是，循环支持系统不一定意味着费用，而是一种有合理回收期的投资。为一个人投入10万美元用于设备和植入成本，再加上每年4000美元的持续维护成本，可为社会带来比投资价值更高的收入。回收期很大程度上取决于个人的赚钱能力，以及所接受的医疗护理或经历的并发症数量。一个年薪4万美元的人在5年内会成为我们社会中积极的经济力量，并增加国民生产总值（GNP）。同样这个人如果有大量医疗并发症且间歇性失去工资，回收期可能会再延长2年。循环支持系统有增加我们国民生产总值的潜力，从而为民众带来更高的生活水平。
