SAFETY AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF PEDIATRIC PERCUTANEOUS RENAL BIOPSY

Because of the rising cost of health care, more patients are undergoin g procedures as outpatients rather than inpatients. The purpose of thi s study was to compare safety and cost of outpatient versus inpatient, overnight stay, for children undergoing percutaneous renal biopsy. Ch arts of all such patients between January 1989 through January 1995 we re reviewed for the following: age of patient, native versus allograft biopsy and preparation costs (in 1995 U.S. dollars), and complication s. Of the 75 biopsies reviewed, 58 were native and 17 allograft with 3 5 (47%) of the biopsies being outpatient and 40 (53%) inpatient. There were four complications (11.4%) in 2 patients for the outpatient grou p and seven complications (17.5%) in 6 patients in the inpatient group (X(2) = 0.1003, P = 0.75). The median cost for an outpatient biopsy w as U.S. $ 1,968 while an inpatient biopsy was U.S. $ 3,178. We conclud e that outpatient percutaneous renal biopsy in children is as safe as inpatient and more economic, with a saving of greater than U.S. $ 1,00 0 per biopsy.