The cost of the inpatient management of febrile neutropenia in cancer patients--a micro-costing study in the Irish healthcare setting.
The objective was to evaluate the resource use and cost of hospitalisation for febrile neutropenia (FN) from the health-payer's perspective. This was a single centre study. Adults undergoing chemotherapy, who were admitted for FN, were identified prospectively. Patient medical records were reviewed retrospectively. Demographics and resource utilisation data were obtained from a cohort of 32 patients (69% female, mean age = 58.8 years). Twenty-five per cent of patients had more than one FN episode. In total, 42 FN episodes were captured; 60% of episodes had occurred within the first two cycles of chemotherapy. The bootstrap estimation was used to determine mean hospital length of stay (LOS) with standard deviation (±SD) and mean costs ± SD. The mean LOS was 7.3 ± 0.5 days. The mean cost per FN episode was €8915 ± 718. The major cost driver was hospital bed-stay (mean cost of €6851 ± 549). Other cost drivers included antibacterial treatment at €760 ± 156, laboratory investigations at €538 ± 47 and the requirement for blood bank products at €525 ± 189. To our knowledge, this is the first investigation of the cost of chemotherapy induced FN within the context of the Irish healthcare setting.
Department of Medical Oncology, St James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
C
C
O'Brien
E
E
Fogarty
C
C
Walsh
O
O
Dempsey
M
M
Barry
M J
MJ
Kennedy
L
L
McCullagh
D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016913:Blood Component Transfusion / Q000191:economics; D064146:Chemotherapy-Induced Febrile Neutropenia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
cancer; cost; direct costs; febrile neutropenia