International review of the utilisation and cost of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty

We reviewed information published between 1990 and March 2001 to ascertain trends in the utilisation of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and to determine the availability of cost data. Our review encompassed Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The number of PTCAs increased in all countries studied during the 1990s. While the rate of PTCA use in all European countries lags behind that of the US, Germany and France are approaching the US rate, and the uptake of PTCA among European countries is increasing rapidly after a slow start. With regard to PTCA cost data, direct international comparisons are difficult since patient populations, methodological factors, and the timing and location of each study contributed to the differences observed between and within the studies reviewed. The increasing number of patients receiving PTCA emphasises the need for accurate cost data.