[Economic evaluation of acute paediatric rotavirus gastroenteritis in France].
BACKGROUND
Acute paediatric rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE) is the leading cause of paediatric gastroenteritis worldwide. The objective of the study was to assess the average cost of a RVGE episode in children between 0 and 5 years in France.


METHODS
An epidemiological study performed in Dijon provided the amount of resources used in the case of a RVGE episode. Their evaluation was based on current national local tariffs. Three different care settings were included: RVGE cases taken in charge only by community health care providers, RVGE cases leading to an emergency visit without hospitalisation, and cases leading to hospitalisation. This evaluation considered direct and indirect costs.


RESULTS
Ninety-nine children with rotavirus gastroenteritis were included in the epidemiological study, 30 patients after hospitalisation, 50 patients in emergency departments, and 19 were included by physicians. The average French social security costs for one episode of rotavirus gastroenteritis was 1,270 euro for hospitalised cases, 80 euro for emergency cases and 34 euro for community health care cases. The part of costs not reimbursed by the social security was mainly due to loss of productivity. It amounted to 287, 254 and 255 euro for emergency visit cases, hospitalised cases and community health care respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
This cost of disease study demonstrated that paediatric rotavirus gastroenteritis results in high expenditures for the French social security as well as for society. The implementation of a vaccination programme would reduce the economic burden of gastroenteritis disease in France.
Huet
F
F
Service de pédiatrie, centre hospitalier universitaire, Dijon, France.
Allaert
F-A
FA
Trancart
A
A
Miadi-Fargier
H
H
Trichard
M
M
Largeron
N
N
D000208:Acute Disease; D017281:Cost of Illness; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005602:France; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D012943:Social Security / Q000191:economics