Abstract: The objective was to understand the characteristics of hospitalization expenditures for patients with critical SARS in ICU and its influent factors and to discuss relevant controlling measures.The hospitalization expenditures and its influent factors for 41 patients with critical SARS in ICU were compared with the expenditures 179 patients with SARS from May 2003 to June 2003 in our hospital the hospitalization expenditures and its influent factors for 41 patients with critical SARS in group ICU₁ were compared with group ICU₂ .Results:In 41 patients with critical SARS,21 were male and 20 female,aged from 24 to 82 years[average(47.00±14.60)years].The total hospitalization expenditures were 1902 190 RMB with an average of 47117.51±33316.89 RMB per person,among them the medicine expenses were in the highest proportion(48.27%)and others were the cost of treatment,examinations,other expenses and ward charge.The difference in average total hospitalization expenditures and in five kinds of expenditures for the patients in group ICU₁ and group ICU₂ were not significant(P>0.05).The average age of 41 patients with critical SARS was significantly higher than that of179patients(P<0.05).The numbers of patients with complications(73.2%)were significantly more(P<0.01).More patients used non-invasive ventilation(58.3%)or invasive ventilation(17.1%)and the difference was significant(P<0.01).There were more patients using non-invasive ventilation(78.3%)in group ICU₁ than in group ICU₂ (P<0.01).The results suggest that the hospitalization expenditures of patients with critical SARS are very high;among them the medicine expenses are in the highest proportion,which is related to many factors.It is necessary to use non-invasive mechanical ventilation in time and take active and reasonable treatment measures combined with more effective drug treatment to improve curative rate and decrease mortality,and effectively control the hospitalization expenditures and reduce the proportion of medicine expenses.

Key words: severe acute respiratory syndrome(SARS), hospitalization expenditure