Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 30, 2026
Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus MRSA
Published on: February 9, 2011
Estimating the disease burden of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Japan: Retrospective database study
Hironori Uematsu1, Kazuto Yamashita1, Susumu Kunisawa1
1Department of Healthcare Economics and Quality Management, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Yoshida Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto, Japan.
Objectives:
The nationwide impact of antimicrobial-resistant infections on healthcare facilities throughout Japan has yet to be examined. This study aimed to estimate the disease burden of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in Japanese hospitals.
Design:
Retrospective analysis of inpatients comparing outcomes between subjects with and without MRSA infection.
Data Source:
A nationwide administrative claims database.
Setting:
1133 acute care hospitals throughout Japan.
Participants:
All surgical and non-surgical inpatients who were discharged between April 1, 2014 and March 31, 2015.
Main Outcome Measures:
Disease burden was assessed using hospitalization costs, length of stay, and in-hospital mortality. Using a unique method of infection identification, we categorized patients into an anti-MRSA drug group and a control group based on anti-MRSA drug utilization. To estimate the burden of MRSA infections, we calculated the differences in outcome measures between these two groups. The estimates were extrapolated to all 1584 acute care hospitals in Japan that have adopted a prospective payment system.
Results:
We categorized 93 838 patients into the anti-MRSA drug group and 2 181 827 patients into the control group. The mean hospitalization costs, length of stay, and in-hospital mortality of the anti-MRSA drug group were US$33 548, 75.7 days, and 22.9%, respectively; these values were 3.43, 2.95, and 3.66 times that of the control group, respectively. When extrapolated to the 1584 hospitals, the total incremental burden of MRSA was estimated to be US$2 billion (3.41% of total hospitalization costs), 4.34 million days (3.02% of total length of stay), and 14.3 thousand deaths (3.62% of total mortality).
Conclusions:
This study quantified the approximate disease burden of MRSA infections in Japan. These findings can inform policymakers on the burden of antimicrobial-resistant infections and support the application of infection prevention programs.
Insights
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections significantly increase hospitalization costs, length of stay, and mortality in Japanese hospitals. This study quantifies the substantial disease burden, highlighting the need for infection prevention programs.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Healthcare Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Antimicrobial-resistant infections pose a significant threat to healthcare systems globally.
- The disease burden of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Japanese hospitals remains largely unquantified.
- Understanding the impact of MRSA is crucial for developing effective infection control strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the disease burden of MRSA infections in Japanese hospitals.
- To quantify the impact of MRSA on hospitalization costs, length of stay, and in-hospital mortality.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of inpatients from a nationwide administrative claims database (2014-2015).
- Comparison of outcomes between patients treated with anti-MRSA drugs and a control group.
- Extrapolation of findings to all acute care hospitals in Japan with a prospective payment system.
Main Results:
- Patients treated with anti-MRSA drugs incurred 3.43 times higher hospitalization costs, stayed 2.95 times longer, and had 3.66 times higher mortality rates compared to the control group.
- Extrapolated nationwide, MRSA infections resulted in an estimated incremental burden of US$2 billion, 4.34 million excess days of hospitalization, and 14.3 thousand deaths.
- MRSA accounted for approximately 3.4-3.6% of total hospitalization costs, length of stay, and mortality.
Conclusions:
- MRSA infections impose a substantial disease burden on Japanese healthcare facilities.
- The findings provide critical data for policymakers regarding the economic and clinical impact of antimicrobial resistance.
- Evidence supports the implementation and strengthening of infection prevention and control programs to mitigate MRSA burden.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA
01:25Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance