Primary Kidney Disease and Post–Renal Transplantation Hospitalization Costs

• Published in: Transplantation proceedings Vol. 39; no. 4; pp. 962 - 965
• Main Authors: Ghoddousi, K, Ramezani, M.K, Assari, S, Lankarani, M.M, Amini, M, Khedmat, H, Hollisaaz, M.T
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.05.2007; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Cost of Illness; Diabetic Nephropathies - complications; Diabetic Nephropathies - economics; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Humans; Iran; Kidney Diseases - economics; Kidney Diseases - surgery; Kidney Failure, Chronic - economics; Kidney Failure, Chronic - etiology; Kidney Failure, Chronic - surgery; Kidney Transplantation - economics; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Nephrology. Urinary tract diseases; Nephropathies. Renovascular diseases. Renal failure; Patient Readmission - economics; Patient Readmission - statistics & numerical data; Postoperative Complications - economics; Renal failure; Retrospective Studies; Surgery; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgery of the urinary system; Tissue, organ and graft immunology; Iran; Kidney disease; Costs; Urinary system disease; Hospitalization; Homotransplantation; Medicine; Nephropathy; Treatment; Surgery; Health economy; Renal failure; Primary; Graft; Economic aspect; Public health; Kidney transplantation
• ISSN: 0041-1345; 1873-2623
• DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2007.03.007

Abstract Background and aim This study sought to assess posttransplantation hospitalizations costs in diabetic and nondiabetic subjects to see whether diabetes mellitus (DM) as a primary cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) increased posttransplantation hospitalization costs. Methods From 2000 to 2005, the hospitalization costs of 387 consecutive rehospitalizations of kidney recipients were retrospectively compared for two groups: patients with ESRD due to DM ( n = 71) and those with ESRD of non-DM etiologies ( n = 316). The hospitalization costs included the costs of hotel, medications, surgical procedures, paraclinical tests, imaging tests, health personnel time, special services (ie, patient transportation by ambulance), and miscellaneous costs. Societal perspective was used with costs expressed in PPP$ purchase power parity dollars (PPP$) estimated to be equal to 272 Iranian rials. Results Compared with the non-DM group, DM patients experienced significantly higher median costs both in total (1262 vs 870 PPP$, P = .001) and in cost components related to hotel (384 vs 215 PPP$, P = .001), health personnel time (235 vs 115 PPP$, P < .001), paraclinical tests (177 vs 149 PPP$, P = .012), and special services (100 vs 74 PPP$, P = .041). The mean of age was higher ( P < .001), and the transplantation hospitalization time interval was also shorter in the DM group (median: 2.7 vs 12, P = .025). Conclusions Considering DM as a leading cause of ESRD and its increasing prevalence in some countries, the association between hospitalization costs of posttransplant patients and DM may be of great economic importance to many transplantation centers.