[Analysis of operating costs during a year in an infectious diseases department (April '94-March '95)]

The Authors have analytically worked out the operating costs on the different pathologies for all the patients admitted at the Infectious Diseases department (USL Bologna City) from April 1994 to March 1995. The economic costs for one-year treatment of AIDS patients were very expensive for the community. In fact, for each patient, the average hospital admissions were 2.2 for year, and the average duration of hospitalization was 24 days each time. The Day Hospital had an important role for the majority of the patients with pathologies correlated with HIV infection (AIDS and ARC). The 75% of hospitalization days were spent by patients with HIV correlated pathologies. This group of patients caused 71% of diagnostic-therapeutic procedures. The number of admissions to hospital for patients with a pathology not correlated with HIV was lower than statistical expectations, probably because these patients preferred other medical services to avoid contacts with AIDS patients. The Authors have got the conviction that the existence of other kind of territorial assistance services such as House Care and Domiciliary Therapy Care would determine a great decrease of the operating costs.