title: Hospital costs of coronary artery bypass grafting on elective coronary patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess hospital costs associated with coronary artery bypass grafting performed on elective coronary patients, and the relation of costs with the number of grafts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive prospective study carried out at Instituto Dante Pazzanese de Cardiologia in April, May and June of 2005. Coronary patients of different ages and both genders were included. Emergency patients, patients with other associated heart conditions and reoperation cases were excluded. Appropriate forms for the operating room, early postoperative period and for the final period in the ward were developed for the initial hospitalization phase preoperatively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The procedure was performed on 103 patients, at an average cost of R$6,990.00 (US$2,784.98), at a minimum of R$5,438.69 (US$2,166.81), and maximum of R$11,778.96 (US$4,692.81); standard deviation was R$1,035.47 (US$412.54) and the confidence interval was 95%, ranging from R$6,790.33-R$7,190.27 (US$2,705.31-US$2,864.67). The total average cost for three to five bypass grafts was higher (R$7,148.05) than for one and two bypass grafts (R$6,659.29) and the difference was significant (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The highest average costs were in the operating room (R$4,627.97), and in the early postoperative period (R$1,221.39), followed by costs incurred in the ward after the early postoperative period (R$840.04) and by the initial preoperative period in the ward (R$300.90).
authors.affiliation: Instituto Dante Pazzanese de Cardiologia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. nagihaddad27@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Nagib
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Haddad
authors.forename: Eliana
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bittar
authors.forename: Andréa Fabiana
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: de Marchi
authors.forename: Coralice dos Santos Veiga
authors.initials: Cdos S
authors.lastname: Kantorowitz
authors.forename: Andréa Cotait
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Ayoub
authors.forename: Mayuli Lurbe
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: Leopoldo Soares
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Piegas
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D002908:Chronic Disease; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000191:economics*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000191:economics / Q000601:surgery*; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D017721:Hospital Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies