Costs of hospitalization in preterm infants: impact of antenatal steroid therapy
Objective: To estimate the costs of hospitalization in premature infants exposed or not to antenatal corticosteroids (ACS). Method: Retrospective cohort analysis of premature infants with gestational age of 26 to 32 weeks without congenital malformations, born between January of 2006 and December of...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Book |
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Brazilian Society of Pediatrics,
2016-01-01T00:00:00Z.
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| Summary: | Objective: To estimate the costs of hospitalization in premature infants exposed or not to antenatal corticosteroids (ACS). Method: Retrospective cohort analysis of premature infants with gestational age of 26 to 32 weeks without congenital malformations, born between January of 2006 and December of 2009 in a tertiary, public university hospital. Maternal and neonatal demographic data, neonatal morbidities, and hospital inpatient services during the hospitalization were collected. The costs were analyzed using the microcosting technique. Results: Of 220 patients that met the inclusion criteria, 211 (96%) charts were reviewed: 170 newborns received at least one dose of antenatal corticosteroid and 41 did not receive the antenatal medication. There was a 14% to 37% reduction of the different cost components in infants exposed to ACS when the entire population was analyzed, without statistical significance. Regarding premature infants who were discharged alive, there was a 24% to 47% reduction of the components of the hospital services costs for the ACS group, with a significant decrease in the length of stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). In very‐low birth weight infants, considering only the survivors, ACS promoted a 30% to 50% reduction of all elements of the costs, with a 36% decrease in the total cost (p = 0.008). The survivors with gestational age < 30 weeks showed a decrease in the total cost of 38% (p = 0.008) and a 49% reduction of NICU length of stay (p = 0.011). Conclusion: ACS reduces the costs of hospitalization of premature infants who are discharged alive, especially those with very low birth weight and < 30 weeks of gestational age. |
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| Item Description: | 2255-5536 10.1016/j.jpedp.2015.06.001 |