[The medical cost of diabetic patients with foot problems due to peripheral artery disease].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the medical cost of diabetic patients with foot problems and peripheral artery disease.


METHODS
Type 2 diabetic patients with foot problems admitted into the endocrinology departments of 14 teaching hospitals from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2004 were surveyed for their type and phase of foot ulcers, diabetic complications, medical cost and general personal characteristics.


RESULTS
The average medical cost of the hospitalization of these patients was RMB yen 14,906 +/- 7072 (about US $ 1640 +/- 873); medication and examination cost was separately 56% and 19% of the total cost. There was obviously higher medical cost for these patients with longer diabetes duration of over 20 years and with the occupation of laborer and retired worker. Patients with kidney disease had significantly higher medical cost than those without (RMB yen 11 690.7 vs yen 9493.0; P = 0.0013), even if the hospital stay was nearly the same (21 days vs 20 days). The medical cost increase with the severity of diabetic foot problems based on the classification of Wagner System or Texas System. Patients with infection, ischemic foot and gangrene foot stayed in the hospitals longer and had much higher medical cost.


CONCLUSIONS
The medical cost is higher for diabetic patients with foot problems and is related with the presence of complicating kidney disease, infection and ischemia as well as the severity of foot ulcers.
Diabetes Center, 306th Hospital of PLA, Beijing 100101, China.
Ai-Hong
AH
Wang
Shi
S
Zhao
Qiang
Q
Li
Peng-Hua
PH
Wang
Li
L
Yan
Yu-Ming
YM
Du
Rong-Wen
RW
Bian
Zhan-Jian
ZJ
Wang
Ji-Ping
JP
Mao
Zheng-Hua
ZH
Xiao
Xue-Yi
XY
Ma
Shao-da
SD
Lin
Guo-Chang
GC
Chen
Ying-Sheng
YS
Zhou
Zhang-Rong
ZR
Xu
D000368:Aged; D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000191:economics* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005251:Fees, Medical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D011446:Prospective Studies