Epidemiological paramters on morbidity and mortality are important for assessing the burden of disease in the population. However, they only provide an incomplete picture of the treatment costs of a disease. The economic consequences of relatively rarely observed diseases can still be enormous.

So far, there has been no information on the estimated economic burden of non-CF bronchiectasis (i.e. bronchiectasis that occur in non-cystic fibrosis patients) in any European country. Now, researchers from the German Center for Lung Research at the Hanover (BREATH) and Kiel / Lübeck / Borstel / Großhansdorf (ARCN) sites have published preliminary data for Germany on the economic consequences of this disease in a cooperative publication (Diel et al., Eur Respir J 2019).

Bronchiectasis are characterized by enlargement of the medium-sized airways, the so-called bronchi, and are associated with a chronic necrotic festering bacterial infection of the bronchial wall. In the random sample of roughly 4.9 million insured persons from 2012, about 200 patients with bronchiectasis were identified. The direct expenditures for these sick persons was on average approximately one third more than for the examined control group in the observation period of 3 years. The increased costs were mainly caused by increased hospital stays, a higher need for antibiotic therapies and a higher number of sick days. The mortality rate in the sample studied was especially increased for patients who had COPD concomitantly.

Although bronchiectasis is generally considered underdiagnosed, the data shows that the mortality and economic burden are substantial for this condition.

Text: BREATH / CD

Bild: MHH / Figiel