Costs of Treatment of Severe COPD Exacerbation in Serbia

The main objective of this investigation was to determine and summarize the economic burden of severe COPD exacerbations that required hospitalization and the difference in the costs of treatment between patients with frequent (at least two exacerbations in one year) and infrequent exacerbation.

Our results suggested that significantly more resources had to be spent to treat patients with at least two hospitalizations during the study related to the use of medications primarily affecting the respiratory system (corticosteroids, p = 0.013, theophylline, p = 0.007) and total hospital stay (31336.68 ± 19140 RSD/517.53 ± 316.1 EUR versus 23650.15 ± 14956.0 RSD/390.59 ± 247 EUR, p=0.002) compared to patients who stayed in a semi-intensive care unit (12875.35 ± 20742.54 RSD versus 4310.62 ± 9779.78 RSD/ 212.64 ± 342.57 EUR versus 71.19 ± 161.51 EUR, p=0.006). Based on the total number of days in the hospital, the costs of the drugs, the materials used and services provided, patients from the frequent exacerbation group had significantly higher costs (80034.1 ± 36823.7 RSD/1321.78 ± 608.15 EUR versus 69425.5 ± 34083.1 RSD/1146.58 ± 562.89 EUR) comparedthan patients in the infrequent exacerbation group (p=0.039).

Our results indicate that significantly more funds will be spent treating the deterioration of patients who stay longer in the hospital or in the semi-intensive care unit. Their condition will require a significantly greater use of drugs that are primarily used to treat the respiratory system and, therefore, will utiliseutilize significantly more resources.