Averin A, Law A, Shea K, Atwood M, Munjal I, Weycker D. Episodic cost of lower respiratory tract illness due to respiratory syncytial virus among US infants during the first year of life. J Infect Dis. 2023 Dec 22:jiad598. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiad598. Online ahead of print.

Abstract and paper first published: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38133638/

Abstract

A study using two healthcare claims databases (commercial, Medicaid) was undertaken to estimate episodic cost of lower respiratory tract illness due to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV-LRTI) among infants aged <12 months overall, by age, and by birth gestational age (weeks [wGA]).

Among commercial-insured infants, mean costs were $28,812 for hospitalized episodes, $2,575 for emergency department episodes, and $336 for outpatient clinic episodes; costs were highest among infants aged <1 month and infants with wGA ≤32, and were comparable—albeit somewhat lower—among Medicaid-insured infants.

Cost of RSV-LRTI during acute phase of illness is high, especially among the youngest and premature infants.

Read more: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38133638/