Resource utilization and costs of treating severe rotavirus diarrhea in young Mexican children from the health care provider perspective.
BACKGROUND
Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe diarrhea in infants. The economic costs of treating severe rotavirus can be quite significant and are important to include in any evaluation of prevention programs. The aim of this study was to determine utilization of health care resources and costs incurred due to severe diarrhea associated with rotavirus infection in Mexican children < 5 years of age.


METHODS
The costs of rotavirus infection evaluated in this observational study consisted of hospital, emergency room care and out-patient visit expenses at three hospitals of the Mexican Institute of Social Security throughout 1999-2000. Service costs were estimated from costs of care for rotavirus versus non-rotavirus diarrhea obtained through a follow-up study data of 383 children and administrative records.


RESULTS
Diarrhea cases due to rotavirus infection comprised 36% of the sample. Participants with rotavirus diarrhea spent an average of 3.2 days in the hospital, 5.9 hours in the emergency room, and had 1.3 visits to an outpatient physician's office. Some differences in the consumption of health care were found between rotavirus and non-rotavirus diarrhea cases, although the mean costs of rotavirus and nonrotavirus cases were not significantly different. The mean cost per case of severe rotavirus diarrhea was estimated to be US $936. The total cost of treating severe rotavirus diarrhea, including 5,955 rotavirus hospitalizations for 2004, was estimated at US $5.5 million.


CONCLUSIONS
Health care costs due to treatment for severe rotavirus diarrhea are a significant economic burden to the Mexican Social Security system.
Granados-García
Victor
V
Unidad de Investigación en Economía de la Salud, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, México. victor.granados@imss.gob.mx
Velázquez-Castillo
Raúl
R
Garduño-Espinosa
Juan
J
Torres-López
Javier
J
Muñoz-Hernández
Onofre
O
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000930:Antidiarrheals / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003906:Developing Countries; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology; D016527:Drug Costs; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005440:Fluid Therapy / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017048:Health Care Costs; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics; D006786:Hospitals, Urban / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D009819:Office Visits / Q000191:economics; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012943:Social Security / Q000191:economics
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000930:Antidiarrheals