To estimate the risk and burden of health care utilization and costs following acute and postacute dengue infection, specifically comparing these outcomes to population-based controls.
Key Findings:
Dengue patients had significantly higher rates of emergency department visits and inpatient admissions compared to controls, with p-values indicating statistical significance.
In the postacute period, dengue patients had 11.938-fold higher rates of unique inpatient visits and 15.852-fold longer lengths of stay, both statistically significant.
The majority of excess health care costs occurred during the acute phase (US$21,363,084) compared to the postacute period (US$687,032), highlighting the acute burden.
Interpretation:
There is a substantial increase in health care utilization and costs in the 300 days following dengue infection, indicating a significant burden on health care systems that necessitates ongoing monitoring and resource allocation.
Limitations:
The study is based on data from Singapore, which may limit generalizability to other regions, particularly those with different health care systems.
Exclusion of individuals with COVID-19 may affect the comparability of health care utilization, potentially introducing bias.
Conclusion:
Dengue infection leads to increased health care utilization and costs both acutely and postacutely, highlighting the need for ongoing monitoring and resource allocation in health care systems to manage this burden effectively.
by Jue Tao Lim, Liang En Wee, Wei Zhi Tan, Calvin Chiew, Lalitha Kurupatham, Cuiqin Poh, Nur-Afidah Md Suhaimi, Hui Zi Chua, Lee Ching Ng, Po Ying Chia, David Chien Boon Lye, Kelvin Bryan Tan
