The study aims to determine the in-hospitalization cost for stroke (IHCS) in a tertiary public hospital in the Philippines and identify the factors influencing IHCS.

Determining the cost of hospitalization for acute stroke is important in the appropriate allocation of resources for public health facilities and in the cost effectiveness analysis of interventions. Despite being the second leading cause of mortality in the Philippines, there are no published data on the cost of stroke in the country.

The study was a retrospective review of the medical and billing records of the hospital. Adult patients admitted for acute stroke between June 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018 were included in the analysis. After the mean cost of stroke was determined, multivariate logistic regression analysis was done to determine demographic and clinical characteristics that were predictive of stroke cost.

A total of 863 patient records were analyzed. The median in-hospitalization cost for stroke was PHP 17,141.50 or USD 329.52 USD. Independent determinants of higher cost include male sex (p=0.021), stroke type (hemorrhagic stroke, p=0.001; subarachnoid hemorrhage, p<0.001), lower GCS on admission (p=0.023), surgical intervention (p<0.001), intravenous thrombolysis (p<0.001), infection (p<0.001), length of hospital stay (p<0.001), and mechanical ventilation (p=0.008).