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ArticleItalian journal of pediatrics2020

Hospitalization for acute cerebellitis in children affected by varicella: how much does it cost?

Elena Bozzola, Stefano Guolo, Giulia Macchiarulo, Lidia Festa, Giulia Spina, Andrzej Krzysztofiak, Annalisa Grandin, Mauro Bozzola, Massimiliano Raponi, Alberto Villani

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In one paragraph

Article in Italian journal of pediatrics, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Elena BozzolaPediatric and Infectious Disease Unit, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Rome, Italy. elena.bozzola@opbg.net.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2586-019X
Stefano GuoloMedical Direction, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Rome, Italy.
Giulia MacchiaruloPediatric and Infectious Disease Unit, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Rome, Italy.
Lidia FestaPediatric and Infectious Disease Unit, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Rome, Italy.
Giulia SpinaPediatric and Infectious Disease Unit, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Rome, Italy.
Andrzej KrzysztofiakPediatric and Infectious Disease Unit, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Rome, Italy.
Annalisa GrandinPediatric and Infectious Disease Unit, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Rome, Italy.
Mauro BozzolaUniversity of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
Massimiliano RaponiMedical Direction, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Rome, Italy.
Alberto VillaniPediatric and Infectious Disease Unit, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Rome, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChickenpox is a highly contagious airborne disease caused by the varicella zoster virus. It is generally benign and self-limiting, but it may be responsible of life-threatening complications. Acute cerebellitis (AC) is the most common neurological complication and is associated with prolonged hospitalization in the acute phase (HAP). AIM OF THE STUDY: To estimate the costs of AC HAP in children affected by varicella. MATERIALS AND

methodsWe retrospectively reviewed the medical records of a pediatric cohort hospitalized for chickenpox AC over a period of 15 years (from October 2003 to October 2018) and we analyzed acute care costs. For any patient the HAP has been calculated. The final value includes cost of hospital accommodation and management at the Pediatric and Infectious Diseases Unit. To this cost, the price of procedures (imaging, laboratory exams, medical and paramedical evaluations) and medical treatments was added.

resultsIn the study period, 856 children had been hospitalized for varicella. Out of them, 65 met a diagnosis of AC and were included in the study. The hospitalization length was of 10 days (range 3-20 days). The median cost of HAP for each patient was of 5366 euro, with an average annual cost of 23,252 €. The most significant part of HAP is due to the cost of hospital accommodation and management at the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Unit, which was about € 537.78 for a single day. DISCUSSION: Although AC post-varicella is rare, its HAP cost is not negligible resulting in substantial economic burden. Vaccination would have probably prevented varicella and AC complication, avoiding hospitalization.

conclusionsFinancial studies are important for evaluate the cost saving in order to influence public funding decisions. Further studies are necessary to investigate the economic burden of the disease.

Indexed as

Health Care CostsAdolescentChildChild, PreschoolCost of IllnessEncephalitis, Varicella ZosterFemaleHospitalizationHumansInfantItalyMaleRetrospective StudiesChickenpoxChildrenCostHospitalization

Identifiers

PMID32762761
PMCPMC7410155

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