BACKGROUND:

The epidermolysis bullosas are a group of hereditary diseases in which the mechanic fragility of epithelial tissue produces blisters, repetitive ulcerations and scarring, as well as several multiorgan and psychosocial complications.

OBJECTIVE:

To determine the economic cost for medical care in patients with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa within their prototypical hospital stay, as well as within a year of ambulatory caregiving at the Epidermolysis Bullosa Clinic at the National Institute for Pediatrics in Mexico City (INP).

MATERIAL AND METHOD:

A prototypical case of an eight-year-old patient diagnosed with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa was selected and the costs of the most recent hospitalization at INP were calculated, along with other costs produced during a year of care (2016-2017) at the Epidermolysis Bullosa Clinic.

RESULTS:

The final cost for hospitalization were between 194,757.38 and 345,402.55 Mexican pesos, according to calculations based on medicine prices from the social security system and out-of-hospital pharmacies, respectively. The cost of medicines represented the highest input within the total. The final cost of a year of ambulatory care given by the Epidermolysis Bullosa Clinic was of 604,927.25 Mexican pesos, of which special dressing products represented the highest cost entry.

CONCLUSIONS:

Epidermolysis bullosa generates high economic cost for patients and health care systems in the short and long term, due to permanent need of multiple medicines, utensils and specialized medical assistance, all of these costs that most of the Mexican population cannot afford.