title: Resource use in patients with Crohn's disease treated with infliximab.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the impact of infliximab (IFX) on hospital resources for patients with Crohn's disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Resource use data for at least 1 year before (B-IFX) and after (A-IFX) infliximab administration were retrospectively collected for all patients treated with IFX at the Hospital Cabueñes (Spain). Direct costs calculated were: hospital-stays, surgeries, out-patient visits, diagnostic and laboratory tests, pharmacological treatments, and day-care hospitalization for IFX administration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients (n = 34; mean age at treatment: 43.6 years) with 9.8 and 4.3 years (B-IFX and A-IFX, respectively) had their costs estimated. Partial or complete response was achieved in 82% of patients. Total annual B-IFX costs per patient were Euro 4,464, of which 62.4% was for hospitalization, 3.1% for surgery, 8.7% for consultation visits, 16.2% for diagnostic and laboratory tests, and 9.6% for other treatments. Total annual A-IFX costs per patient were Euro 10,594; of which 6.4% was for hospitalization, 0.8% for surgery, 4.2% for consultation visits, 7.6% for diagnostic and laboratory tests, 5.5% for other treatments, and 75.5% for IFX and its administration. The primary cost item was hospitalization (Euro 2,783) during the B-IFX period as opposed to IFX itself (Euro 7,996) during the subsequent A-IFX period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In routine practice, IFX appears to be an effective treatment by reducing hospital-stays, but increases overall budgetary cost for patients with Crohn's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hospital de Cabueñes, Gijón, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saro
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: da la Coba
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Casado
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Otero
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000191:economics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics; D016527:Drug Costs; D005260:Female; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000379:methods; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D000069285:Infliximab; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000069285:Infliximab