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[Assessing the cost of the first episode of bronchiolitis]
Insights
Respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis in infants incurs significant costs, particularly from outpatient care. Further research is needed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of preventive measures for this common childhood illness.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Health Economics
Context:
- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis affects a quarter of children under 24 months annually.
- High-risk infants face significant morbidity, with potential links to asthma development.
- The cost-effectiveness of preventive strategies for RSV bronchiolitis remains largely unknown.
Purpose:
- To measure the direct and indirect costs associated with a first episode of RSV bronchiolitis in children under two years old.
- To analyze healthcare management, patient outcomes, and socioeconomic factors influencing costs.
Summary:
- A study of 183 children revealed significant costs for RSV bronchiolitis, with inpatients averaging 37,200 FF and outpatients 1,286 FF.
- Indirect costs for 113 outpatient families included 49 lost working days.
- Hospitalization length averaged 7.6 days for 40 inpatients.
Impact:
- Outpatient care represents the greatest cost burden for policymakers.
- Variability in hospitalization rates complicates overall epidemic cost evaluation.
- Additional studies are required to determine the economic viability of future preventive interventions for RSV bronchiolitis.
Background:
Each year, a quarter of the children younger than 24 months has respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis. The morbidity among high-risk infants and the possible association with the development of asthma lead to propose preventive measures whose cost-effectiveness relationship is unknown. The present work was aimed at measuring costs of a first attack of bronchiolitis.
Method:
For children less than two years visited in the emergency department, direct and indirect costs were measured according to the 'Sécurité Sociale' prices. Associated morbidity, the management of care (inpatient versus outpatient), outpatients' outcome two weeks after the visit, socioeconomic data were recorded.
Results:
One hundred eighty three children have been studied. The length of stay for 40 hospitalizations was 7.6 +/- 4.3 days. Direct costs were 37,200 +/- 22,000 FF for inpatients, and 1286 +/- 633 F for outpatients. For 113 outpatients' families, indirect costs were 49 working days lost. The way the child was looked after and the unemployment rate in the study were similar to data provided by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies.
Conclusion:
Because of the variability of the hospitalization rate from one setting to another, overall costs of the epidemic cannot be evaluated. For the policymaker, the greatest costs come from the outpatient care. Others studies will be necessary to evaluate the price of future preventive measures.