[Direct cost of medical treatment to the asthmatic patient in the pediatric emergency service of a medical care tier-two hospital].
BACKGROUND
Asthma is one of the most common breathing pathologies in the pediatric population that causes many consults to the emergency service, generating a high cost for the services of health.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the direct cost of the treatment in the pediatric patients with acute crisis of asthma in the emergency service from 1998 to 2001 in a hospital of second level of medical attention of the health sector.


METHODS
A retrospective cohort study was done in the emergency service of pediatrics patients with ages from 12 months to 18 years 11 months, who visited the service during the period of study. To calculate the total cost that these patients generated, the unitary price of medications, nebulize, oxygen, consults and hospitalization in the emergency service were determine.


RESULTS
A total of 106,813 consultations was provided from 1998 to 2001 in emergency service, 26,387 were hospitalized and of these, 9,328, with diagnosis of asthma, required handling with inhalotherapy. The total direct cost in the period of study was of $17,620,517.83, nebulize: $213,292.60, oxygen: $788,287.57, steroids: $253,619.70, aminophylline: $152,589.00, medical attention: $3,232,360.38, hospitalization in the emergency service: $12,980,468.58.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that the biggest costs were generated by the oxygen consume and the hospitalizations. Asthma generates an important demand in emergency services, thus it is necessary to improve alternatives in the control and education of patients, in order to reduce the number of events, severity of the crises and to improve the quality of the patients' life and their families.
Ceballos Martínez
Z I
ZI
Hospital de Gineco-Pediatría núm. 7, IMSS, Avenida López Portillo con libramiento Kabah s/n, región 92, Municipio de Benito Juárez, Cancún, Quintana Roo. imshgop7@prodigy.net.mx
González Mercado
E
E
Jiménez Grandes
I
I
Peralta Bahena
M E
ME
Tah Arias
W F
WF
D000293:Adolescent; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004180:Direct Service Costs; D016527:Drug Costs; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D009330:Nebulizers and Vaporizers / Q000191:economics; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy / Q000191:economics; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000191:economics*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000191:economics; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents