Introduction: Epidemic outbreaks of influenza occur every year and healthcare systems must amplify their response in accordance with available medical resources. This situation generates cost increases. During the recent influenza A pandemic, costs were likely to have been greater than in previous years.
Objective: To estimate direct health costs of influenza-related illness during 2009 compared to costs expended in the previous 3-year period at Ricardo Gutiérrez Children's Hospital, City of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Materials and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional epidemiological study with retrospective control group to estimate influenza-related costs for the years 2006 to 2009 using data from outpatient consultations and hospital admissions for Acute Respiratory Infections attributable to Influenza virus in children under 5 years old. Incremental costs were estimated for the year 2009 compared to average costs for the period 2006-2008.
Results: Total incremental cost of hospital admissions and outpatient consultations for influenza was US$ 91512 for the year 2009 compared to average cost for 2006-2008 period (incremental cost of US$ 147560 for hospital admissions and US$ -56048 for outpatient consultations).
Conclusions: Influenza-related costs were greater in 2009 than in previous years due to higher number of hospital admissions attributable to influenza A H1N1.