Consumo e custo de recursos materiais em unidades pediátricas de terapia intensiva e semi-intensiva / Costs and consumption of material resources in pediatric intensive and semi-intensive care units / Costo y consumo de recursos materiales en unidades pediátricas de terapia intensiva y semi-intensiva

O gerenciamento de custos de materiais de consumo hospitalar é um tema atual em pesquisa, principalmente em unidades de saúde especializadas. Os enfermeiros são destacados como os principais gestores do consumo e custo de materiais hospitalares. Neste estudo, objetivou-se caracterizar unidades pediátricas semi-intensivas e intensivas de um hospital de ensino e verificar o consumo e os custos de materiais utilizados na assistência a pacientes internados nessas unidades. Estudo descritivo, exploratório, retrospectivo, com abordagem quantitativa; os dados foram obtidos do Sistema de Informação Hospitalar; analisados com base na classificação ABC. O gasto médio foi semelhante entre as UTIs cardiológica e neonatal e menor nas UTI e semi-intensiva pediátricas; houve variação significativa de consumo mensal de materiais; os materiais de maior custo tiveram mais impacto no orçamento das unidades estudadas. Os dados obtidos revelaram a importância do uso de método sistêmico de análise de consumo e gastos de materiais em unidades pediátricas e subsidiam ações administrativas de economia.

Cost management of hospital material resources is a trendy research topic, especially in specialized health units. Nurses are pointed out as the main managers for costs and consumption of hospital materials resources. This study aimed to characterize Pediatric Intensive and Semi-Intensive Care Units of a teaching hospital and investigate costs and consumption of material resources used to treat patients admitted to these units. This is a descriptive exploratory study with retrospective data and quantitative approach. Data were obtained from a Hospital Information System and analyzed according to the ABC classification. The average expenditures were similar in both the neonatal and cardiac units, and lower in Pediatric Intensive and Semi-Intensive care units. There was a significant variation in the monthly consumption of materials. Higher cost materials had a greater impact on the budget of the studied units. The data revealed the importance of using a systematic method for the analysis of materials consumption and expenditure in pediatric units. They subsidize administrative and economic actions.

La gestión de costos de materiales de consumo hospitalario es un tema actual en investigación, especialmente en unidades de salud especializadas. Los enfermeros son destacados como los principales gestores de consumo y costos de materiales hospitalarios. En este estudio, objetivó-se caracterizar Unidades Pediátricas de Terapia Intensiva (UTI) y Semi-intensiva de un hospital escuela e investigar el consumo y costo de materiales utilizados en la asistencia de pacientes ingresados en esas unidades. Estudio descriptivo, exploratorio, retrospectivo, de abordaje cuantitativo. Los datos fueron obtenidos del Sistema de Información Hospitalaria y analizados de acuerdo con la clasificación ABC. El gasto medio fue semejante entre las UTIs cardiológica y neonatal, y menor en las unidades de terapia intensiva y semi-intensiva pediátricas. Hubo variación significativa en el consumo mensual de materiales. Los materiales de mayor costo presentaron un mayor impacto en el presupuesto de las unidades estudiadas. Los datos revelan la importancia del uso de un método sistémico de análisis de consumo y gastos de materiales en unidades pediátricas y subsidian acciones administrativas de economía.

Intensive care--a cost effective option for developing countries?

The estimation of cost-effectiveness of pediatric critical care services is an extremely relevant issue for both developing and industrialized nations. Pediatric critical care is expensive and the long outcomes are still relatively unclear. From the perspective of patients who receive the benefits of these services, there may be little controversy regarding cost-effectiveness. However, the issue becomes very complex when attempts are made to identify which patients will benefit most. This also needs to be considered while developing public policy when decisions for allocation of limited resources need to be made within health care systems, and choices need to be made between the provision of health care and other public services. This article addresses the complex issue of economic evaluations and describes various type of cost analyses. The difference between charges and costs is defined, and a discussion of the measurement of costs and benefits, and their relationship to outcomes research is provided. Although there is not a unique answer to the issue of cost-effectiveness for pediatric critical care services, the available literature particularly from the United States is summarized, and the ethical implications explored.