Costs for acute myocardial infarction tertiary care centre and nationwide in France

Objective: We compared the estimated costs of coronary interventions from o ur hospital's cost accounting system with data from the French Diagnosis Re lated Group (DRG) cost database, taking the perspective of our hospital. Design: Cost data on hospital resources used by patients hospitalised for a cute myocardial infarction (MI), with and without complications, including deceased patients, were collected in a tertiary care university hospital lo cated in Paris, France. The data were collected using the hospital's cost a ccounting system and then compared with the estimates provided by the DRG r eimbursement schedule for similar conditions. Main outcome measures and results: The estimated costs were 849 euro (EUR) for coronary angiography, EUR4762 for coronary angioplasty with stenting, a nd EUR4978 to 8067 for MI. The DRG reimbursement schedule provided for acut e MI was EUR3920 to 5709. Conclusions: Although the current cost of treating acute MI in a teaching h ospital is reasonably close to that in the current reimbursement schedule, rapid technological changes regarding both drugs and devices renders necess ary a close monitoring of costs associated with the management of these acu te care patients.