The economic cost of a streptococcal tonsillitis episode.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the cost of a streptococcal tonsillitis episode from the data of a questionnaire.


METHODS
Five primary health centres in the west of Sweden.


METHODS
101 consecutive patients treated for streptococcal tonsillitis.


METHODS
The cost estimation included costs for physician visit and drug, travel costs to and from the primary health centre, cost of lost production resulting from the patient's or the guardian's absence from work for physician visit or sick-leave, and cost of telephone consultation with a physician or nurse.


RESULTS
The period of illness was on average seven days, time to recovery after treatment five days, and the mean period of sick-leave 2.5 days. The total cost of a tonsillitis episode was about SEK 3,300 (385 USD). Of this sum, the cost for the antibiotic accounted for only 3% and loss of production for 75%.


CONCLUSIONS
Differences in the cost of drugs only have a minor influence on the total cost, while factors causing loss of production, such as efficacy and side effects of the drug, have a greater influence. Economic evaluation of pharmaceuticals will be more relevant in the future, and in the search for the most effective treatment, cost effective studies will be integrated with clinical trials.
Roos
K
K
ENT dept., Lundby Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden.
Claesson
R
R
Persson
U
U
Odegaard
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017281:Cost of Illness; D017050:Episode of Care; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000191:economics* / Q000382:microbiology; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae; D013548:Sweden; D014069:Tonsillitis / Q000191:economics* / Q000382:microbiology