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

OBJECTIVE

We compared the estimated costs of coronary interventions from our hospital's cost accounting system with data from the French Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) cost database, taking the perspective of our hospital.

DESIGN

Cost data on hospital resources used by patients hospitalised for acute myocardial infarction (MI), with and without complications, including deceased patients, were collected in a tertiary care university hospital located in Paris, France. The data were collected using the hospital's cost accounting system and then compared with the estimates provided by the DRG reimbursement 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, and EUR4978 to 8067 for MI. The DRG reimbursement schedule provided for acute MI was EUR3920 to 5709.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the current cost of treating acute MI in a teaching hospital is reasonably close to that in the current reimbursement schedule, rapid technological changes regarding both drugs and devices renders necessary a close monitoring of costs associated with the management of these acute care patients.