ECONOMIC-EVALUATION OF RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS-INFECTION IN CANADIAN CHILDREN - A PEDIATRIC INVESTIGATORS COLLABORATIVE NETWORK ON INFECTIONS IN CANADA (PICNIC) STUDY

Objectives: To quantify the cost and distribution of health care resou rces consumed annually in management of Canadian children from birth t o 4 years of age with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. Stu dy design: Estimates of direct medical expenditures (in 1993 U.S. doll ars) were collected from a prospective cohort study of hospitalized ch ildren with RSV and from national and provincial databases. Results: T he annual cost of RSV-associated illness was almost $18 million. The l argest component of direct expenditures (62%) was for inpatient care f or the estimated 0.7% of all infected children ill enough to require a dmission. Physician fees comprised only 4% of inpatient expenses. Expe nditures for ambulatory patients accounted for 38% of direct costs. Co nclusions: The greatest reductions in the economic cost of RSV infecti ons will be found in interventions that reduce duration of or prevent hospital stay. Costs for management of RSV infection in children in th e Canadian health care system are considerably less than charges repor ted in the United states.