Direct Costs of Hospitalized Acute Asthma in a Public Hospital of the City of Buenos Aires

ABSTRACT

There is little information about direct costs of acute asthma hospitalization in our country. This study was conducted for the purpose of determining such costs in a public hospital of the city of Buenos Aires. Clinical records of adult patients with acute asthma admitted to the Hospital General de Agudos Dr. J. M. Ramos Mejía of the city of Buenos Aires during 2016 were reviewed. The study determined direct costs from the funder's perspective, according to the resource allocation of the Government of the City of Buenos Aires for hospitalizations as of January 2018. The cost was informed in American dollars given the variation of the peso/dollar relationship, taking into account the exchange parity of January 2018. 25 hospital admissions of 20 patients were reviewed ; age 49 years old (median, 25-75% IQR, 36.5-62 years); 56% female; smokers (20% ex-smokers and 30% current smokers). Ten patients (50%) had had severe exacerbations the previous year. Only 10% of the patients adhered to previous preventive treatment, including the use of β2 agonists the previous month, 2.55 aerosols per patient (25-75% IQR, 2-3). The length of hospital stay was 7 days (median, 25-75% IQR, 4-10) in patient rooms and 14 days in the Intensive Care Unit. The total direct cost was 1,853 dollars per each hospitalization (median, 25-75% IQR, 1,393-2,654) in patient rooms and 6,361 dollars for the Intensive Care Unit. This is the first study in the country to deal with the direct costs of acute asthma hospitalization in a public hospital of Buenos Aires. Taking into consideration the low adherence rate to preventive treatment, we understand that a health system based on asthma management programs reduces and saves costs that could be used in many different ways within public health.