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Resource utilization among patients with sepsis syndrome
David W Bates1, D Tony Yu, Edgar Black
1Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology
|February 1, 2003
Summary
Sepsis syndrome significantly increases hospital resource utilization, leading to longer lengths of stay and higher charges in academic medical centers. Further research is needed to distinguish sepsis-attributable costs from underlying conditions.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare resource utilization
- Clinical economics
- Infectious disease outcomes
Background:
- Sepsis syndrome represents a significant clinical challenge in academic medical centers.
- Understanding the resource burden of sepsis is crucial for healthcare management and cost-effectiveness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the resource utilization, specifically length of stay and hospital charges, associated with sepsis syndrome.
- To compare resource utilization in patients with sepsis versus those without.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study conducted across eight academic, tertiary-care centers.
- Involved a stratified random sample of 1,028 adult sepsis admissions and 248,761 other adult admissions.
- Measured total length of stay (LOS), post-onset LOS, and total hospital charges.
Main Results:
- Patients with sepsis had a mean LOS of 27.7 days, significantly longer than the 7.2 days for non-sepsis patients (11.0 days longer, P < .0001).
- Mean total hospital charges for sepsis patients were $43,000 higher than for other patients (P < .0001).
- Differences in resource utilization were more pronounced for nosocomial sepsis compared to community-acquired sepsis.
Conclusions:
- Sepsis syndrome is associated with substantial and quantifiable increases in healthcare resource utilization.
- The study highlights the significant economic impact of sepsis in academic medical settings.
- Further investigation is warranted to delineate the precise contribution of sepsis versus underlying conditions to excess resource use.