[Direct costs of complicated chicken pox in a Colombian pediatric population].
OBJECTIVE
Estimating the cost of chicken pox in a Colombian pediatric population.


METHODS
This was a retrospective case study which searched for all diagnosed chicken pox cases in the Napoleón Franco Pareja children's hospital (Cartagena, Colombia), during 2005-2008. The hospital's records/perspective was used. Cost related to health personnel, lab, diagnostic images and drugs were searched. The micro-costing was made at Colombian peso prices for 2010. An adjustment was made for inflation.


RESULTS
Mean hospital costs were $ 898,766 (Q1: $ 197,348; Q3: $ 1,195,262). Mean hospital cost per day was $ 221,777 (Q1: $ 97,027; Q3: $ 293,740). Mean cost <1 year-old patients was $ 980,742 (Q1: $ 905,708; Q3: $ 1,026,031). Mean cost was $ 105,833 in 5-12 year-old patients (Q1: $ 39,568; Q3: $ 891,824).


CONCLUSIONS
The results were similar to those of previous studies (in Panama and some developed countries) highlighting relatively high illness costs in Colombia. These results increase the evidence in favor of vaccination and invite Colombian public health officials to consider introducing a chicken pox vaccine into Colombia.
Grupo de Investigación en Economía de la Salud, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas, Universidad de Cartagena, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. nalvis@yahoo.com
Nelson
N
Alvis-Guzmán
Angel
A
Paternina-Caicedo
Luis
L
Alvis-Estrada
Fernando
F
De la Hoz-Restrepo
D002644:Chickenpox / Q000150:complications / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000191:economics; D016527:Drug Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017721:Hospital Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007755:Laboratories, Hospital / Q000191:economics; D007902:Length of Stay; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000191:economics; D012189:Retrospective Studies