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Lookup NU author(s): Melvin JoyORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).
Background & objectives: Scrub typhus is a rickettsial infection seen along the Asian-Pacific rim and imposes a considerable burden on affected people in low- and middle-income countries. The present study was aimed to determine the direct cost of hospitalization of scrub typhus and its trend over six years. Methods: This was a retrospective, observational, hospital based study of individuals admitted to the hospital, diagnosed with scrub typhus over six years, from January 2013 to December 2018. The potential out of pocket expenditure was evaluated. Results: A total of 198 patients were included in the study. The median cost of admission (adjusted to INR 2020) for the six years (2013 to 2018) was found to be ₹ 37,026 (US $ 490) [interquartile range (IQR) 22,996-64,992]. The median cost for patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) was ₹ 128,046 (US $ 1695) (IQR 71,575-201,171), while the cost for patients admitted to the ward-alone was ₹ 33,232 (US $ 440) (IQR 19,609-45,373). The multivariable analysis showed that ARDS and SOFA score were the independent predictors of ICU admission. Interpretation & conclusions: Hospitalisation for scrub typhus is associated with a substantial healthcare expense. The predictors of increased cost were the presence of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), shock, increasing sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score and duration of hospital stay.
Author(s): John KJ, George TK, Joy M, John B, Abraham OC, Prasad J
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Indian Journal of Medical Research
Year: 2023
Volume: 157
Issue: 6
Pages: 559-567
Print publication date: 01/06/2023
Online publication date: 08/07/2023
Acceptance date: 01/06/2023
Date deposited: 13/12/2023
ISSN (print): 0971-5916
Publisher: Wolters Kluwer – Medknow
URL: https://doi.org/10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_3917_20
DOI: 10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_3917_20
PubMed id: 37530311
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