title: [Estimation of direct medical costs of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease over 12 months].
abstract: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a prevalent and expensive disease, the burden of disease involving the patient, the family and also the society.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Estimation of direct medical costs of COPD in one patient, by adding the costs of all the medical events related to the disease over one year: exacerbations admitted to hospital or ambulatory, chronic treatments, follow-ups. Data were obtained using a questionnaire applied to 85 COPD patients approached in "Marius Nasta"lnstitute of Pulmonology in 2004.
  
  
  RESULTS
  85 patients were questionned, mean age was 62.5 years, mean FEV1 was 36.65% predicted (72 patients were GOLD stages Ill and IV). In the previous year they had a mean of 2.2 exacerbations. They received various chronic treatments (bronchodilators, inhaled steroids, combination therapy) but not constant, between 3 and 8 months per year. The direct medical costs of COPD per patient in one year were estimated at 5243.4 lei (1456.5 euro), 83% of costs represented the exacerbations (82.5% hospital admittances) and 17% the stable disease costs (16.5% chronic medication). Long term oxygen therapy, transportation, indirect costs were not included.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even if the costs are underestimated, COPD remains an expensive disease especially due to hospital exacerbations. Cost-effective interventions are needed for preventing exacerbations, redistributing resources and improving patients quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Universitotea de Medicină şi Farmocie,CaroI Dovin, Bucureşti. istrambu@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stâmbu
authors.forename: Ioan Paul
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Stoicescu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics; D017281:Cost of Illness; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009330:Nebulizers and Vaporizers; D015995:Prevalence; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012008:Recurrence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012383:Romania / Q000453:epidemiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014797:Vital Capacity
chemical_list: D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids