Cost of bloodstream infections

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Economics
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• Hospital Management

Background:

• Hospital-acquired bloodstream infections (BSIs) are rare but not random, indicating potential confounding factors influencing cost estimates.
• Previous studies may have biased BSI cost data; this analysis employed a large sample, actual cost accounting, and bias correction methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To accurately estimate the incremental costs associated with hospital-acquired bloodstream infections (BSIs).
• To address potential biases in previous cost estimations using advanced statistical methods and comprehensive data.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 1,355,647 admissions across 55 hospitals over 69 months.
• Identified BSIs using the validated Nosocomial Infection Marker, a laboratory-based electronic surveillance system.
• Matched laboratory data with hospital accounting data, converting costs to 2006 US dollars.

Main Results:

• Identified 12,578 BSIs among 58,376 presumed nosocomial infections (21.6%).
• Over 50% of BSIs occurred within the first week of hospitalization.
• Estimated incremental BSI costs ranged from $5,534 to $20,600, depending on analytical adjustments.

Conclusions:

• Even with conservative estimates, the costs associated with BSIs are substantial, likely ranging from $10,000 to $20,000 per infection.
• Further investigation is required to determine how BSI cost containment strategies impact overall inpatient care expenditures.