The Trend of Direct Medical Cost of Meliodiosis Patients in Kedah: A Retrospective Study from 2014 to 2017

Figures & data

Table 1 Characteristics of the Patients with Melioidosis from 2010 to 2017 at Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah, Kedah (n = 293)

Demographic	n (%)
Gender
Male	233 (79.5)
Female	60 (20.5)
Race
Malay	247 (84.3)
Chinese	12 (4.1)
Indian	27 (9.2)
Others	7 (2.4)
Mean age in years (SD)	50.25 (16.2)
Age group (years)
15–64	241 (82.3)
≥ 65	52 (17.7)
Fatal outcome	146 (49.8)

Table 2 Comparison of Survival Status in Melioidosis Patients from 2010 to 2017 at Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah, Kedah (n = 293)

Year	Cured (n=147) n(%)	Died (n=146) n(%)	p-value^a
2014	30(20.4)	40(27.4)	0.582
2015	52(35.4)	47(32.2)
2016	38(25.9)	35(24.0)
2017	27(18.4)	24(16.4)

Note: ^aPearson chi-square applied.

Figure 1 The trend of the average direct medical cost (USD) from 2014 to 2017 based on months.

Figure 2 The percent of increment/reduction of direct medical cost.

Table 3 The Comparison of Costs Based on the Patients’ Survival (Cured or Died from Disease) (n=293)

Variable	The Mean(SE) of Died Patients n=146	The Mean(SE) of Cured Patients n=147	p-value^a
Antibiotic cost	43.73 (0.63)	48.13 (0.84)	0.303
Diagnostic cost	9.71 (0.09)	11.33 (0.08)	0.003
Investigation cost	156.98 (0.54)	177.25 (0.39)	0.131
Direct medical cost	210.42 (0.64)	236.71 (0.69)	0.158

Notes: ^aIndependent t-test applied; the logarithmic transformation was applied for the skewed data. Means and SEs were obtained by back-transformation via the delta method. The costs estimated per patient was presented in US Dollars.

Table 4 The Comparison of Costs Based on the Duration of Stay (n = 293)

Variable	0−13 Days Mean (SE) n=149	≥ 14 Days Mean (SE) n=144	p-value^a
Antibiotic cost	12.78 (0.64)	80.26 (0.54)	< 0.001
Diagnostic cost	10.37 (0.08)	10.69 (0.08)	0.938
Investigation cost	156.01 (0.45)	178.67 (0.48)	0.312
Direct medical cost	179.16 (0.53)	269.61 (0.65)	< 0.001

Notes: ^aIndependent t-test applied; the logarithmic transformation was applied for the skewed data. Means and SEs were obtained by back-transformation via the delta method. The costs estimated per patient was presented in US Dollars.

Table 5 The Comparison of Costs Based on the Type of Melioidosis Patients in Survival Group (n = 147)

Variable	Non-Bacteremic Mean (SE) n=26	Bacteremic Mean (SE) n=121	p-value^a
Antibiotic cost	33.35(4.23)	51.31(0.57)	>0.95
Diagnostic cost	18.46(0.13)	9.80(0.06)	<0.001
Investigation cost	191.39(0.05)	174.21(0.03)	0.165
Direct medical cost	243.20(0.05)	235.32(0.03)	0.387

Notes: ^aIndependent t-test applied; the logarithmic transformation was applied for the skewed data. Means and SEs were obtained by back-transformation via the delta method. The costs estimated per patient was presented in US Dollars.