Cost of Hospital-Acquired Infection

Abstract

The authors assessed the costs of hospital-acquired infections using rigorous econometric methods on publicly available data, controlling for the interdependency of length of stay and the incidence of hospital acquired infection, and estimated the cost shares of different payers. They developed a system of equations involving length of stay, incidence of infection, and the total hospital care cost to be estimated using simultaneous equations system. The main data came from the State of New Jersey UB 92 for 2004, complimented with data from the Annual Survey of Hospitals by the American Hospital Association and the Medicare Cost Report of 2004. The authors estimated that an incidence of hospital acquired infection increases the hospital care cost of a patient by $10,375 and it increases the length of stay by 3.30 days, and that a disproportionately higher portion of the cost is attributable to Medicare. They conclude that reliable cost estimates of hospital-acquired infections can be made using publicly available data. Their estimate shows a much larger aggregate cost of $16.6 billion as opposed to $5 billion reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention but much less than $29 billion as reported elsewhere in the literature.

The role of the Infectious Diseases unit at Groote Schuur Hospital in addressing South Africa’s greatest burden of disease

“…3 HAIs increase morbidity, lengthen hospital stay (and costs), and impact negatively on in-hospital mortality. 4 Imported infections also pose a significant threat to public health; the influenza pandemic of 2009 was a stark reminder of this potential threat, amid public panic and inability of an already overstretched health infrastructure to easily cope with the additional burden of infection.…”

See one, do one, teach one: Hand hygiene attitudes among medical students, interns, and faculty

“…1 Occurring in almost 5% of hospitalized patients, HAIs increase morbidity and mortality and length of hospital stay, placing a great burden on health care services. 2,3 To help hospitals reduce the risk of HAIs, evidence-based guidelines have been introduced by multiple national and international agencies, often with a focus on the role of hand hygiene in lowering infection rates. 4 Despite such initiatives, low hand hygiene adherence rates remain a significant concern.…”

Antimicrobial nanocapsules: from new solvent-free process to in vitro efficiency

“…3,6,7 Furthermore, the use of antiseptic agents is mandatory to prevent surgical site infection and to reduce nosocomial infections responsible for morbidity and mortality incidence and growing economic pharmaceutical care. 8,9 In this context, CHX was proven efficient in reducing the occurrence of resistant bacterial strains, especially methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and extended-spectrum β-lactamase, 10 and is recognized to produce an efficient, immediate, and sustained antiseptic effect maintained beneath surgical gloves. 11 However, compliance with antiseptic use is followed by only 50% of medical and nursing staff in care units.…”