Hospital costs of Bordetella pertussis in New Zealand children.

AIM To estimate hospitalisation costs for children with pertussis in New Zealand. METHOD All children less than 16 years of age and hospitalised with pertussis between 01/01/2003 and 31/12/2013 were identified from the National Minimum Data Set and the National Paediatric Intensive Care Unit database. The cost of hospital care was estimated by multiplying the diagnosis-related group cost-weight by the national price and inflating to 2013/2014 values. RESULTS There were 1,456 children with pertussis admitted to hospital including 65 admissions to the paediatric intensive care unit. Infants (<1 year) accounted for 78% of hospital admissions, 98% of paediatric intensive care admissions and 87% of hospitalisation costs. The total inflation-adjusted cost of the 11-year cohort was estimated at $8.3 million and the mean cost of hospital ward and paediatric intensive care was $4,242 and $42,016 respectively, per child. The 2011-2013 epidemic accounted for 39% of all hospital admissions and the cost estimated at $4.2 million. Peak annual hospitalisation costs during epidemic years increased from under $800,000 in 2004 and 2009 to over $2 million in 2012. CONCLUSION Infants with pertussis are more likely than older children to be admitted to hospital and to the paediatric intensive care unit and generate the majority of hospitalisation costs. A revised focus on protecting vulnerable newborns and infants has the potential to both improve health outcomes for infants with pertussis and reduce medical costs.