title: Cost analysis of iron-related complications in a single institute.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The financial burden of caring for iron-related complications (IRCs) is an emerging medical problem in Korea, as in Western countries. We produced a preliminary estimate of the costs of treating patients for IRCs.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of patients who had received multiple transfusions were reviewed. Newly developed cardiomyopathy, heart failure, diabetes mellitus, liver cirrhosis, and liver cancer were defined as IRCs. The costs of laboratory studies, medication, oxygenation, intervention, and education were calculated using working criteria we defined. Costs that had a definite causal relationship with IRCs were included to produce as accurate an estimate as possible.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between 2002 and 2006, 650 patients with hematologic diseases, including 358 with acute leukemia, 102 with lymphoma, 58 with myelodysplastic syndrome or myeloproliferative disease, 46 with multiple myeloma, and 31 with chronic leukemia, received more than 10 units of red blood cells. Nine patients developed IRCs. The primary diagnoses of eight patients were aplastic anemia and that of one patient was chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Two patients who had diabetes were excluded because one was treated at another hospital and the other was diagnosed as oxymetholone-induced diabetes. Of the seven patients included, liver cirrhosis developed in two, heart failure in four, and diabetes mellitus in three. Some of them had two diagnoses. The total cost attributed to IRCs for the seven patients was 47,388,241 KRW (approximately 50,000 USD).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The medical costs of IRCs are considerable, and more effective iron-chelating therapy is necessary to save medical resources and improve patient care. More in the way of comprehensive health and economic studies of IRCs are needed to allow both clinicians and health-policy makers to make better decisions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ki Hwan
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jin Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ji Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.forename: Min Kyung
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Byung Su
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Inho
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Soo Mee
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Bang
authors.forename: Sung Soo
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Jong Seok
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kyou Sup
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Seonyang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Byoung Kook
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis / Q000379:methods; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019190:Iron Overload / Q000191:economics* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D007723:Korea; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D007501:Iron