Citation

Choi Y, Kim Y, Ko Y, Cha ES, Kim J, Lee WJ. Trop. Med. Int. Health 2012; 17(12): 1534-1543.

Affiliation

 Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea  Office of Health Service Research, National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency, Seoul, South Korea  Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Keimyung University, Daegu, South Korea.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1365-3156.2012.03096.x

PMID

23051841

Abstract

Objectives  To investigate the magnitude and characteristics of the economic burden resulting from acute pesticide poisoning (APP) in South Korea. Methods  The total costs of APP from a societal perspective were estimated by summing the direct medical and non-medical costs together with the indirect costs. Direct medical costs for patients assigned a disease code of pesticide poisoning were extracted from the Korean National Health Insurance Reimbursement Data. Direct non-medical costs were estimated using the average transportation and caregiving costs from the Korea Health Panel Survey. Indirect costs, incurred by pre-mature deaths and work loss, were obtained using 2009 Life Tables for Korea and other relevant literature. Results  In 2009, a total of 11 453 patients were treated for APP and 1311 died, corresponding to an incidence of 23.1 per 100 000 population and a mortality rate of 2.6 per 100 000 population in South Korea. The total costs of APP were estimated at approximately US$ 150 million, 0.3% of the costs of total diseases. Costs due to pre-mature mortality accounted for 90.6% of the total costs, whereas the contribution of direct medical costs was relatively small. Conclusion  Costs from APP demonstrate a unique characteristic of a large proportion of the indirect costs originating from pre-mature mortality. This finding suggests policy implications for restrictions on lethal pesticides and safe storage to reduce fatality and cost due to APP.

Language: en