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Purpose: To analyze the German, Austrian, Italian and Spanish Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG)-systems regarding burns. Methods: We analyzed 78 cases of inpatients with burns which were processed by national DRG-groupers. DRGs were linked to thresholds concerning length of stay as well as reimbursement tables of the respective countries. Main findings: Fifty-one % of cases showed higher reimbursement in Germany compared to Austria, 55% compared to Italy and 67% as against Spain. Total proceeds are highest in Austria with 1577000 €, followed by Italy with 1569000 €, Germany with 1502000 € and Spain with 902596 €. No correlation was found between macroeconomic key figures and our data. Conclusions: International comparison of reimbursement of burns by DRG could be a useful instrument for benchmarking while not depending solely on political decisions or country-specific cost data. For better comparability, hospital indices based on healthcare baskets should be discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]