#4125 changes of medical costs and number of uses of continuous renal replacement therapy until recent six years in south korea

Abstract Background and Aims Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is a necessary dialysis treatment method applied to patients with acute renal injury at intensive care unit. In South Korea, the use of such CRRT is increasing, and the cost of health insurance used for CRRT is also increasing. In this study, the pattern and medical costs increase of CRRT usage until recent 6 years were investigated. Method From 2016 to 2021, the number of CRRT claims was investigated using data from the National Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. CRRT costs is applied by a resource-based relative value score in Korea. CRRT can be charged as continuous venovenous hemodialysis, continous venovenous hemofiltration, and continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration depending on the treatment mode. The CRRT cost differs from the very day and the next day's cost, and the cost of the very day includes the femoral hemodialysis catheter insertion cost, which is higher than the next day's cost. Results CRRT medical practice is gradually increasing. The number of CRRT the very day increased from 15,640 cases in 2016 to 20,883 cases in 2021, and it continues to increase from 81,649 cases CRRT the next day in 2016 to 121,376 cases CRRT the next day in 2021. The CRRT relative value score is higher than the conventional hemodialysis(HD) and the CRRT relative value score is 9715 points higher than the conventional HD 1065 points. The total cost of CRRT increased by about KRW 52.5 billion (approximately 38,363,171 dollars) in 2021 from about KRW 17.3 billion (approximately 12,641,578 dollars) in 2016. In addition to CRRT medical practice costs, dialysis fluid, anticoagulant costs, and material costs are added, and so actual CRRT-related costs are more expensive. Conclusion CRRT is essential and it seems necessary to consider medical practices or medical costs that are important for essential medical care. CRRT is a high-cost treatment method that requires definitive guidelines or consensus on the initiation and discontinuation of CRRT.