Costs of treating community-acquired bacterial bronchopneumonia in pediatric patients

Abstract

Relevance. Health management has not escaped the pressure of the current epidemiological situation. In a complex scenario, characterized by the COVID-19 pandemic, the daily dynamics become more complex and greater agility is required for decision-making. Much of the success of those decisions is determined by access to timely information, especially in crisis conditions and limited resources. For this reason, health organizations are interested in knowing the costs of pathologies that frequently constitute causes of hospitalization. In this sense, community - acquired bacterial bronchopneumonia stands out, which is a disease that frequently causes hospitalization of pediatric patients. Objective. This article aims to carry out a partial retrospective financial evaluation in order to determine the costs associated with the treatment of community-acquired bacterial bronchopneumonia in pediatric patients. Materials and methods. The study was developed from the perspective of the health institution General Hospital Guillermo Luis Fernndez Hernndez - Baquero in the city of Moa. For this, the analysis - synthesis and comparative methods were used, as well as the methodology to calculate and analyze disease costs. Results. The research focused on the January-March quarters of the years 2017 and 2018 and provided valuable accounting information regarding the direct and indirect costs of the treatment of the pathology in question, which serves as a tool for the correct management of the hospital institution. Conclusion . The direct costs exceeded the indirect costs and the items that most affected the total cost were the salaries of the workers, food, and medicines used to treat the disease. The need to develop digital health was evidenced, with special emphasis on digital medical records to facilitate access to them and thus avoid the loss of information due to its deterioration. The study provides useful information to the management of the health institution, which serves as support for budget analysis and future projections.