Cost of extracorporeal life support in pediatric patients with acute respiratory failure.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the impact of extracorporeal life support (ECLS) on mortality in pediatric patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF) at our institution; and to calculate the hospital charges associated with the use of ECLS.


METHODS
Retrospective review of medical records and hospital charges.


METHODS
Pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) of a university-affiliated children's hospital.


METHODS
Twenty patients admitted to the pediatric ICU between 1991 and 1995 for AHRF who received ECLS as a part of their hospital course.


METHODS
Predicted mortality was calculated using the Pediatric Respiratory Failure score and was compared with survival at the time of hospital discharge. Hospital charges were used as a proxy for resource utilization. Cost-per-life-year-saved calculations were performed based on a normal life expectancy for survivors.


RESULTS
Twenty patients were identified. The median age was 4.83 yrs. The median duration of ECLS was 9 days, with 19.5 days in the pediatric ICU and 23.5 days for the entire hospital length of stay. The observed mortality rate for these patients was 20%. Median predicted mortality rate based on the Pediatric Respiratory Failure score calculation was 83%. The hospital charges incurred by these patients was a median of $199,096. Based on a normal life expectancy for survivors, this results in a cost of $4,190/life-year.


CONCLUSIONS
ECLS for the pediatric patient with AHRF is done at a considerable cost. However, ECLS affects survival favorably, and compares favorably when considering cost/life-year calculations. The data presented in this study may serve as a benchmark for comparison with newer therapies (i.e., liquid ventilation, nitric oxide). These data also provide a framework for cost-based analyses at other ECLS institutions.
Vats
A
A
Division of Critical Care Medicine, Egleston Children's Hospital at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Pettignano
R
R
Culler
S
S
Wright
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D015199:Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D005845:Georgia; D017721:Hospital Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015278:Intensive Care Units, Pediatric / Q000191:economics*; D008297:Male; D017059:Models, Econometric; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000191:economics* / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016019:Survival Analysis