Direct Medical Costs in Children with Rotavirus and Non-rotavirus Diarrhea Admitted to a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and High Dependency Unit in Delhi.

OBJECTIVE To estimate direct medical costs of diarrheal hospitalization of children <5 years admitted in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) or high dependency unit (HDU). METHODS Analysis of medical records and hospital bills of 84 children during two time frames, 2005-08 and 2012-14. RESULTS Direct medical costs in PICU increased from INR 17,941 to INR 50,663 per child for rotavirus diarrhea and INR 11,614 to INR 27,106 for non-rotavirus diarrhea, and in HDU from approximately INR 5,800 to INR 10,500 per child for all-cause diarrhea between the two time frames. CONCLUSIONS Costs of PICU and HDU care are high and should be included in cost-effectiveness analysis of vaccination.