title: Direct healthcare costs for patients hospitalized with Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever can be predicted by a clinical illness severity scoring system.
abstract: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is endemic in Turkey, with peak incidence of hospital admissions in the summer months. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the role of the severity grading score (SGS) in predicting length of hospital stay, laboratory usage, need for blood products, and hence total costs of patients. Thirty-five patients admitted to one specialist center in Turkey in 2013 and 2014 with PCR-proven CCHF. The mean (SD) age was 55 (±14) and 63% of the patients were male, with 8 (22.9%) mortality. Patients were classified by SGS into three groups with mortality as follows: low risk (0/19); intermediate (6/14); and high (2/2). The direct hospital cost of these admissions was at least $41 740 with median (range) of $1210 ($97-$13 054) per patient. There was a significant difference between low-risk and combined (intermediate-high) risk groups as 635 (97-1500) and 2264.5 (154-13 054), respectively (p = 0.012). In conclusion, a clinical grading score can be used to predict illness severity and to predict associated health care costs.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology , Ondokuz Mayis University Medical School , Samsun , Turkey.
authors.forename: Ilkay
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bozkurt
authors.affiliation: a Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology , Ondokuz Mayis University Medical School , Samsun , Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sunbul
authors.affiliation: a Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology , Ondokuz Mayis University Medical School , Samsun , Turkey.
authors.forename: Hava
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.affiliation: a Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology , Ondokuz Mayis University Medical School , Samsun , Turkey.
authors.forename: Saban
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Esen
authors.affiliation: a Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology , Ondokuz Mayis University Medical School , Samsun , Turkey.
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Leblebicioglu
authors.affiliation: b Tropical and Infectious Disease Unit , Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine , Liverpool , UK.|c NIHR Funded Health Protection Research Unit , University of Liverpool , Liverpool , UK.
authors.forename: Nicholas J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Beeching
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D003225:Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Crimean-Congo / Q000502:physiology; D006479:Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean / Q000191:economics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014421:Turkey; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever; Direct cost; Scoring system