The cost of neonatal care.
A medical and financial assessment of the Neonatal Unit at Groote Schuur Hospital showed that the emphasis was on high care provided at a cost of R265 per patient per day. Intensive care cost R530 and low care R88 per day. The average was R172 per day. Infants of very low birth weight (< 1,500 g) accounted for 58% of expenditure. Half of this amount was spent on infants of below 1,000 g; the cost was R14 621 per survivor and R344 per quality-adjusted life-year. The cost declined progressively for infants of greater birth weight. There are a paucity of comparable local data, but the cost of the care was very reasonable.
Malan
A F
AF
Neonatal Service and Hospital Administration, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town.
Ryan
E
E
van der Elst
C W
CW
Pelteret
R
R
D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007224:Infant Care / Q000191:economics*; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000191:economics*; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics; D017283:Neonatal Nursing / Q000191:economics; D013019:South Africa