OBJECTIVE: To describe the direct and indirect costs of ambulatory and in-patient treatments of heart failure during 2002, in the University Hospital Antônio Pedro, Niterói. METHODS: A cross-sectional and retrospective study on utilization and valuation of resources in 70 patients, consecutively selected, under ambulatory and in-patient treatment. Questionnaires and records of the patients were used for data collection. The resources used were valuated in Brazilian Reais (2002). The study's point of view was the perspective from society. The data were analyzed in the EPINFO program, 2002 version. RESULTS: The studied population consisted of 70 patients (39 women), with average age of 60.3 years old. 465 in-patients days (28.5% of the patients) took place. There were 386 ward hospitalizations and 79 in ICUs. The cost with ambulatory appointments was R$ 14.40. The expenses with ambulatory medications amounted R$ 83,430.00 (R$ 1,191.86/patient/year). The cost per hospitalized patient was R$ 4,033.62. The cost with complementary examinations totaled R$ 39,009.50 (R$ 557.28/patient/year). Twenty patients retired due to heart failure, which represented a loss in productivity of R$ 182,000.00. The total cost was R$ 444,445.20. Hospitalization represented 39.7% and the use of medications 38.3% from direct costs. CONCLUSION: The hospitalization cost and the expenses with medications represented the main components of direct costs. Indirect costs represented economic impacts similar to direct costs.
cost of disease; heart failure; health economy
