Estimated costs in treating sickle cell disease leg ulcer

To identify the costs of treating leg ulcers due to sickle cell disease from the perspective of the Unified Health System.

An observational, descriptive, cost-effective economic assessment study conducted in a single center with ulcer patients. The data collected were extracted from the participant's medical records and recorded in a form prepared for this purpose. The cost of the products used in ulcer treatment was provided by the Solicitation/Purchasing Section and Pharmacy Sector of the study institution. The variables studied were ulcer area, number and interval between visits, patient's length of stay in the service, materials used in each visit, and the number of nurse appointments.

The sample consisted of 29 patients. The average initial area of ulcers was 14.47 cm2, 79% of the cases had complete epithelialization in an average time of 8.02 months, with an average cost of R$ 1,288.06. The average cost to reduce 1 cm2 of the lesion area was R$ 102.20. Silver activated carbon coating was the most cost-effective treatment.

The average cost for complete healing of a sickle cell ulcer with an average area of 14.95 cm2 was R$ 1,288.06.