Background and Purpose—The cost of pediatric stroke care has received little attention, but the available data suggest it is expensive. To determine the cost of acute stroke, we analyzed a US national database.

Method—We used the Kids' Inpatient Database (KID2003) to determine the hospital-based costs of acute stroke in children ages 3 months to 20 years. Discharges were selected if the first diagnostic position contained an International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision code pertaining to ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. We examined the relationship between cost and stroke type by adjusting for variables that predict the cost of adult stroke.

Results—There were 2224 pediatric cases, after statistical weighting, discharged with a diagnosis of hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke in KID2003. The estimated cost of acute pediatric stroke in the United States was $42 million in 2003. For the entire cohort, the mean cost of acute hospital care was $20 927 per discharge. The mean cost for ischemic stroke was $15 003, for intracerebral hemorrhage $24 117, and for subarachnoid hemorrhage $31 653. Stroke diagnosis, length of stay, hospital ownership, rural/urban teaching status, US geographical region, and discharge disposition were significantly associated with cost. Cost remained significantly associated with stroke diagnosis after adjusting for other predictors in the final multivariable regression model.

Conclusions—Pediatric stroke is expensive, and the lifetime cost of care is likely greater for a child than an adult. The cost to the family and the larger society underscore the importance of pediatric stroke treatment and prevention.