Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: Dermal regeneration matrices (DRMs) are used in the management of severe acute and chronic wounds; however, their uptake in France remains limited due to acquisition costs that are not reimbursed by the national health insurance system. This study aimed to describe patient characteristics, hospital stays, clinical management, and associated hospital tariffs and costs related to DRM use in real-world practice.
METHODS: This retrospective observational study was conducted using data from medical records and the PMSI database of Nantes University Hospital (France). Patients who underwent at least one DRM placement between January 1, 2018, and September 10, 2024, were included. Descriptive analyses were performed to characterize patient demographics, wound types, hospital stays, and treatment patterns. Costs were estimated using Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) tariffs and national cost data from the Étude Nationale de Coûts à méthodologie Commune (ENCC), expressed in 2024 euros (€2024).
RESULTS: A total of 116 patients were included (mean age 43.3±21.5 years; 68.1% male), accounting for 144 wounds. Most patients received a single DRM per wound (81.3%). Acute wounds represented 76.4% of cases, mainly burns (25.7%) and trauma (18.1%), while chronic wounds accounted for 23.6%, including burn sequelae (10.4%). The mean length of stay was 23.2 ± 44.9 days (median 7.0). Among patients with available ENCC data, the mean DRG cost per stay was €12,615 ± 21,917 (median €6,523), while the mean ENCC cost was €12,499 ± 20,735 (median €6,368). The mean DRM acquisition cost was €2,988 ± 7,842 per stay, corresponding to 13%-56% of the total DRG tariff.
CONCLUSIONS: This study provides real-world evidence on DRM use across a range of wound types in France. Due to the lack of reimbursement, DRM costs are partially borne by hospitals. These findings may inform healthcare decision-making and future reimbursement considerations and will be strengthened through additional multi-center analyses.