We proposed a retrospective cost analysis of patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit of San Leonardo Hospital （Southern-Italy）, stratified for diagnostic groups at hospital admission in 2010, from National ...We proposed a retrospective cost analysis of patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit of San Leonardo Hospital （Southern-Italy）, stratified for diagnostic groups at hospital admission in 2010, from National Health Service perspective. The cost analysis was performed on patients with a length of stay longer than 24 hours. Direct medical costs were estimated： hospitalization costs and surgical procedures were calculated by tariff system DRG （diagnosis related group） while device-related costs were provided by the management of the hospital pharmacy. In order to evaluate the burden of the diagnostic groups, we used two indicators proposed by Rossi C. et al.： cost per surviving patient and money loss per patient. The most frequent admission diagnoses were edema （16.4%） and left heart failure （13.9%）. There was a wide variation in the mean costs per patient （from 62,777 for stroke to 67,227 for nephro-urological disease）. Intracranial bleeding had the highest cost for dead and survived patients, whereas neurological diseases and COPD （chronic obstructive pulmonary disease） had the lowest costs, indicating a better efficiency. Our findings are a starting point for further investigations aimed at the exploitation of resources that are currently being absorbed by ICU （intensive care unit）, in order to provide patients with the best possible healthcare.展开更多
文摘We proposed a retrospective cost analysis of patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit of San Leonardo Hospital （Southern-Italy）, stratified for diagnostic groups at hospital admission in 2010, from National Health Service perspective. The cost analysis was performed on patients with a length of stay longer than 24 hours. Direct medical costs were estimated： hospitalization costs and surgical procedures were calculated by tariff system DRG （diagnosis related group） while device-related costs were provided by the management of the hospital pharmacy. In order to evaluate the burden of the diagnostic groups, we used two indicators proposed by Rossi C. et al.： cost per surviving patient and money loss per patient. The most frequent admission diagnoses were edema （16.4%） and left heart failure （13.9%）. There was a wide variation in the mean costs per patient （from 62,777 for stroke to 67,227 for nephro-urological disease）. Intracranial bleeding had the highest cost for dead and survived patients, whereas neurological diseases and COPD （chronic obstructive pulmonary disease） had the lowest costs, indicating a better efficiency. Our findings are a starting point for further investigations aimed at the exploitation of resources that are currently being absorbed by ICU （intensive care unit）, in order to provide patients with the best possible healthcare.
