Abstract

JARA, Romina Chavez et al. Estimating hospital cost of chronic lower limb ulcers in Tucumán, Argentina. Rev. cienc. tecnol. [online]. 2021, n.35, pp.81-90. ISSN 1851-7587.

Background: Chronic lower limb ulcers (CLLU) have an important burden to the individual and the healthcare system

Objective: To determinate the number and cost of consultation and hospitalization associated to CLLUin a public hospital in Tucumán, Argentina.

Methods: Retrospective observational study. Cost estimation were calculated based on days of stay, treatments and laboratory tests in a inpatient population and the number of consultations, treatments and laboratory tests in a outpatient population.

Results: In 2013 and 2014, the overall number of consultation with ICD-10 codes was 7224 and the number of inpatient was 359.

The length of staywas 22.88 days.There was a mean of 0.41 surgeries per patientwhere 25% were amputations.The mean annual cost in a single public hospital was US$4053.65 per inpatient and US$3589.24 per outpatient.

Conclusion:CLLU generate a great economic burden for the public Health System in Argentina. Therefore, there is a need of changing the way of registration of CLLU in hospitals, allowing the public Health System to become aware of the problem and generate the necessary policies to solve it.

Keywords : Chronic wound; Cost; Epidemiology; Public health; Treatment.