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Vancomycin-resistant enterococci outbreak, Germany, and calculation of outbreak start
Ulrich Sagel1, Berit Schulte, Peter Heeg
1analyse BioLab GmbH, Linz, Austria.
Emerging Infectious Diseases
|February 9, 2008
Summary
Early detection of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium outbreaks can prevent significant healthcare costs. A simple statistical method can identify impending outbreaks, saving approximately 1 million Euros.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Hospital Epidemiology
- Health Economics
Background:
- A large outbreak of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) occurred in a German university hospital.
- Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) pose a significant burden on healthcare systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the costs associated with the VRE outbreak.
- To demonstrate a statistical method for early detection of imminent VRE outbreaks.
- To quantify potential cost savings through early outbreak detection.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of a VRE outbreak in a German university hospital.
- Development and application of an easy-to-use statistical method for outbreak detection.
- Cost estimation of the outbreak, including direct and indirect expenses.
Main Results:
- The VRE outbreak resulted in estimated costs of approximately 1 million Euros.
- The proposed statistical method could have identified the outbreak earlier.
- Early detection could have potentially avoided a substantial portion of the estimated costs.
Conclusions:
- VRE outbreaks are costly and place a strain on hospital resources.
- Implementing simple statistical methods for early detection can mitigate the economic impact of VRE outbreaks.
- Proactive surveillance and rapid response are crucial for controlling VRE transmission and reducing healthcare expenditures.
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