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.