The Cost of The Use of Prophylactic Anticoagulant Drugs in the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Late Period of Neurosurgery Practice

Objective: After being reported for in Wuhan, China, -stranded RNA coronavirus, COVID-19 leading to the deaths of thousands of people. Patients hospitalized in intensive care units (ICUs) who develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to COVID-19 typically exhibit respiratory and digestive system symptoms. However, coagulopathy, which indicates a poor prognosis, may also develop in some patients receiving care in ICUs.This article aims to examine the economic consequences of prophylactic anticoagulant and antiplatelet drug use on neurosurgery practice during the late period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study retrospectively examined patients hospitalized for surgical treatment in the Neurosurgery Clinic of Ordu University Training and Research Hospital between January 1 and December 31, 2022. A total of 38 out of 320 patients were diagnosed with COVID-19, and cost analysis was specifically performed on these patients. Data were obtained from the hospital's data system. Results: An increase in costs was observed in both spine surgery and cranial surgery due to drug use. The Kruskal-Wallis Test showed a significant difference in bed costs between patients who received anticoagulant or antiplatelet-anticoaggregant medication and those who did not (P=.000). Conclusion: The use of prophylactic anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs significantly extended the length of hospital stay for patients in both pre-operative and post-operative periods, resulting in increased costs for the social security institution.