Huong Nguyen Hoang Thien, Toan Nguyen Duc, Khanh Truong Huu, Thinh Le Quoc, Nhan Le Nguyen Thanh, Minh Ngo Ngoc Quang, Thoa Nguyen Thi Kim, Hung Nguyen Thanh, Quy Du Tuan, Thwaites C Louise, Irani Sarosh R, Tan Le Van, Turner Hugo C
Emerging Infections Group, Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Clinical Departments, Children's Hospital 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2024 Nov 19;112(2):422-430. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.24-0409. Print 2025 Feb 5.
Encephalitis is a significant global health problem, especially in children. Knowledge of its economic burden is essential for policymakers in prioritizing the development and implementation of interventions but remains limited. An observational study was prospectively conducted at a major children's hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from 2020 to 2022. Data on direct medical costs, direct nonmedical costs, and productivity costs were collected alongside demographic information, clinical features, diagnosis, severity, and outcomes of study participants. This was used to undertake a cost of illness analysis from a societal perspective. Data were collected from a total of 164 pediatric patients. The median cost of illness was estimated at US $1,859 (interquartile range [IQR]: US $1,273-$3,128). The direct costs were the main cost driver, accounting for 83.9% of the total cost of illness (US $1,560; IQR: US $975-$2,460). The productivity costs accounted for a median of US $275 (IQR: US $154-$474). The cost of illness was higher in more severe patients, patients with sequelae, patients with morbidities, and ventilated patients. Most direct medical costs were attributed to hospitalization and resulted in out-of-pocket payments from the patient's family (30.2%; US $316). The results showed that the cost of illness of encephalitis in children is considerable and will be useful for policymakers in prioritizing resources for the development and implementation of intervention strategies to reduce the burden of pediatric encephalitis.
脑炎是一个重大的全球健康问题，尤其是在儿童中。了解其经济负担对于政策制定者确定干预措施的开发和实施优先级至关重要，但相关知识仍然有限。2020年至2022年，在越南胡志明市的一家大型儿童医院前瞻性地开展了一项观察性研究。收集了直接医疗成本、直接非医疗成本和生产力成本的数据，以及研究参与者的人口统计学信息、临床特征、诊断、严重程度和结局。以此从社会角度进行疾病成本分析。共收集了164名儿科患者的数据。疾病成本中位数估计为1859美元（四分位间距[IQR]：1273 - 3128美元）。直接成本是主要的成本驱动因素，占疾病总成本的83.9%（1560美元；IQR：975 - 2460美元）。生产力成本中位数为275美元（IQR：154 - 474美元）。病情更严重的患者、有后遗症的患者、有合并症的患者以及使用呼吸机的患者的疾病成本更高。大多数直接医疗成本归因于住院治疗，导致患者家庭自掏腰包支付费用（30.2%；316美元）。结果表明，儿童脑炎的疾病成本相当可观，将有助于政策制定者在为减少小儿脑炎负担的干预策略的开发和实施确定资源优先级时提供参考。
