Project example 4: Severe sepsis

Project type	Outcomes research
Indication	Severe sepsis
Intervention	Usual care in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
Methods	Survey in ICU's Cost database analysis
Countries	The Netherlands
Deliverables	Report
Presentations	International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). European conference, Rotterdam 2002. Lecture and poster.
Publications	Sepsis, a complicated syndrome with major medical and social consequences. Bakker J, Levi M, van Hout BA, van Gestel A. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 2004; 148(20): 975-8. Prevalence and incidence of severe sepsis in Dutch intensive care units. Van Gestel A, Bakker J, Veraart CP, van Hout BA. Crit Care 2004; 8(4): R153-62. The costs of severe sepsis: the Netherlands, 2000. Van Gestel A, Bakker J, Veraart CPWM, van Hout BA. Value Health 2002; 5: 561.

The aim of this project was to obtain an estimate of the burdern-of-illness of severe sepsis. We calculated the total ICU costs for severe sepsis patients based on an existing micro-costing database, complemented with estimates for the general costs of ICU stay, such as housing, equipment, medical staff and overhead costs. In addition, we conducted a one-day point-prevalence survey in 47 Dutch ICU's. We collected clinical information concerning all previously admitted and new severe sepsis patients at the ICU on a single day. From these data we calculated the expected annual incidence of severe sepsis in The Netherlands. The annual burden-of-illness from severe sepsis was calculated from the annual incidence and the average total cost per patient.