Morales NRA, Navarrete REM, Reyes LA, Reyes MJM, Núñez BC, Sierra MD, Aponte PYS

Language: Spanish
References: 11
Page: 60-66
PDF size: 394.03 Kb.

ABSTRACT

Introduction: allergic rhinitis represents a public health problem with clinical, social, and economic consequences. In Asian populations, studies have estimated annual costs with and without allergen immunotherapy, but data from Latin America is lacking. Objective: to estimate the total cost of allergic rhinitis in Mexico´s pediatric population without allergen-specific immunotherapy. Material and methods: a retrospective study was conducted using a questionnaire administered to pediatric patients with allergic rhinitis diagnosed by skin tests in 2010. Direct costs (pharmacological treatment, medical visits, transportation) and indirect costs (absenteeism) were evaluated. A descriptive analysis was performed to estimate annual costs per patient. Results: a total of 195 questionnaires were analyzed. The average annual direct cost per patient was $4,356.76 MXN, and the average indirect cost was $75.08 MXN, resulting in a total cost of $4,431.84 MXN. Adjusted for cumulative inflation (2010-2025: 85.14%), the current estimated cost is $8,066.10 MXN. Based on the 2010 exchange rate ($16.2676 MXN/USD), the equivalent cost is $495.83 USD. Conclusions: the annual cost of allergic rhinitis without allergen-specific immunotherapy in Mexican pediatric patients is comparable to findings from Asian studies. This data highlights the economic burden of the disease and support the need for cost-effective therapeutic strategies such as allergen immunotherapy.

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