Cost analysis of real-time polymerase chain reaction microbiological diagnosis in patients with septic shock

Antibiotic treatment for septic shock is generally prescribed on an empirical basis using broad-spectrum antibiotics. Molecular diagnostic techniques can detect the presence of microbial DNA in blood within a few hours and facilitate early, targeted treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the economic impact of a real-time polymerase chain reaction technique, LightCycler SeptiFast (LSC), in patients with sepsis. A cost-minimisation study was carried out in patients admitted with a diagnosis of severe sepsis or septic shock to the intensive care unit of a university hospital. The stay in the intensive care unit, hospital admission, 28-day and six-month mortality, and the economic cost of the clinical process were also evaluated. The study involved 48 patients in the LSC group and 54 patients in the control group. The total cost was €42,198 in the control group versus €32,228 in the LCS group with statistically significant differences (P <0.05), giving rise to an average net saving of €9970 per patient. The mortality rate was similar in both groups. The main finding of this study was the significant economic saving afforded by the use of the LCS technique, due to the shortening of intensive care unit stay and the use of fewer antibiotics.