[Comparison between implantation costs of peripherally inserted central catheter and implanted subcutaneous ports].
BACKGROUND
Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter or PICC Line and implanted subcutaneous ports are two types of central catheters allowing drug administration and blood samplings. These two devices are very controversial (because of infectious and thrombotic complications), it seemed interesting to estimate their cost of implantation and to correlate them with the reimbursement by the Health Insurance.


METHODS
Direct (material and drugs) and indirect (use of the room and staff) costs were prospectively evaluated for PICC Lines and implanted subcutaneous ports.


RESULTS
The global costs of the implantation of a PICC Line and of an implanted subcutaneous port in the interventional radiology room and in the operating room were respectively evaluated at 220.2 €, 286.6 € and 666.3 €.


CONCLUSIONS
Only a PICC Line in outpatients can be reimbursed by the health insurance; which amounts to 110.4 €. The establishment therefore loses money with every implantation. However, PICC Lines offer to the patients a fast access to a central venous way and thus an optimal therapeutic care, fulfilling one of the main missions of the public health institutions. Implanted subcutaneous ports are economically worth being implanted only in ambulatory inpatients. Its implantation in radiology seemed more profitable because the indirect costs were much more moderate.
Service de pharmacie, centre hospitalier de Valence, 179, boulevard du Maréchal-Juin, 26953 Valence cedex, France. Electronic address: Helene.viart@yahoo.fr.
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Viart
Service de pharmacie, centre hospitalier de Valence, 179, boulevard du Maréchal-Juin, 26953 Valence cedex, France. Electronic address: combeclaire@yahoo.fr.
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Combe
Service radiologie, centre hospitalier de Valence, 179, boulevard du Maréchal-Juin, 26953 Valence cedex, France.
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Martinelli
Direction de l'information médicale, centre hospitalier de Valence, 179, boulevard du Maréchal-Juin, 26953 Valence cedex, France.
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Thomas
Service de pharmacie, centre hospitalier de Valence, 179, boulevard du Maréchal-Juin, 26953 Valence cedex, France.
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Hida
D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics*; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics* / Q000295:instrumentation; D008875:Middle Aged
Cathéter veineux central d’insertion périphérique; Chambre implantable; Costs; Coûts; Implanted subcutaneous ports; Peripherally inserted central catheter