Volume 9, Number 4—April 2003
Research
Costs of Illness in the 1993 Waterborne Cryptosporidium Outbreak, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Phaedra S. Corso*
, Michael H. Kramer*, Kathleen A. Blair†, David G. Addiss*, Jeffrey P. Davis‡, and Anne C. Haddix§
, Michael H. Kramer*, Kathleen A. Blair†, David G. Addiss*, Jeffrey P. Davis‡, and Anne C. Haddix§Table 1
Parameter estimates for calculating the cost of diarrheal illness during the cryptosporidiosis outbreak, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1993
| Parameter | Mild illnessa | Moderate illness | Severe illness |
|---|---|---|---|
| % of infected persons with diarrhea |
87.99 (6) |
10.92 (6) |
1.09 (6) |
| Medical costs |
|||
| Inpatient healthcare costs |
|||
| % with hospitalization |
100 |
||
| Cost of hospitalization |
– |
– |
$6,312b |
| Outpatient healthcare costs |
|||
| % with physician visit |
95c |
29b |
|
| Cost of physician visit |
– |
$45d |
$45d |
| % with emergency department visit |
5b |
||
| Cost of emergency department visit |
– |
$224b |
|
| Ambulance transport |
|||
| % of emergency department visit/hospitalization with ambulance transport |
– |
4.9b |
16.3b |
| Cost of ambulance transport |
– |
$228 (11)c |
$228 (11)c |
| Medication |
|||
| Self-medication before seeking healthcare |
|||
| Duration of illness before seeking health care, mean days |
4.7e |
5.8b |
18.4b |
| % taking medication |
30c |
30b |
29b |
| Cost of medication |
$5.73 (12)c |
$5.92 (12)c |
$6.74 (12)b |
| Medication prescribed after seeking healthcare |
|||
| % taking medication |
— |
54b |
48b |
| Cost of medication |
$8.91 (12)b |
$70.52 (12)b |
|
| Recurrent episodes |
|||
| % with recurrent episodes (and assuming 100% take medication) |
21 (7) |
21 (7) |
21 (7) |
| Duration of recurrent episodes, mean d |
2 (8) |
2 (8) |
2 (8) |
| Cost of medication |
$2.44 (12)c |
$2.44 (12)c |
$2.44 (12)c |
| Productivity losses |
|||
| Productivity losses for ill persons, mean d |
1.3e |
3.8e |
13.5e |
| Productivity losses for caregivers, mean d |
0.1e |
1.3e |
3.9c |
| Earnings lost/d | $81 (13) | $81 (13) | $81 (13) |
aReference nos. are in parentheses.
bMedical chart review.
cAuthor assumption.
dCity of Milwaukee Health Department.
eRandom digit dial survey conducted by the City of Milwaukee Health Department.
