Comparison of the Medical Costs of Cured and Dead COVID-19 Patients in the Intensive Care Units of a Fever Hospital

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic imposed unprecedented burdens on healthcare systems globally, especially in intensive care units (ICUs). Understanding the differences in costs between cured and deceased patients helps optimize resource allocation and policy-making.
Objective: This study aimed to compare and analyze the medical costs of cured versus deceased COVID-19 patients in ICUs of an Egyptian Military Fevers Hospital from January 2020 to December 2022.
Methods: This record-based comparative analytic study included 650 ICU-admitted COVID-19 patients (480 cured, 170 deceased). Demographics, symptoms, comorbidities, investigations, treatments, length of stay (LOS), and associated costs were retrieved from hospital records. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, t-tests, Chi-square tests, and multivariate logistic regression.
Results: Deceased patients were significantly older and had higher rates of hypertension and diabetes. They also had a higher incidence of cytokine storm and received Actemra more frequently. Investigation and treatment costs—especially D-Dimer, IL, and Actemra—were significantly higher among the deceased. No significant difference in LOS or total care/service costs was found. Multivariate analysis identified cytokine storm, age, and longer LOS as predictors of death. Surprisingly, a greater number of symptoms was associated with lower mortality odds.
Conclusion: While, total medical costs per patient were not significantly different, specific diagnostics and treatments were more expensive among the deceased. These findings suggest targeted areas for cost-reduction and clinical improvement strategies in ICU management.