Healthcare resources attributable to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus orthopedic surgical site infections

The number of orthopedic surgeries is increasing as populations steadily age, but surgical site infection (SSI) rates remain relatively consistent. This study aimed to quantify the healthcare resources attributable to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) SSIs in orthopedic surgical patients. The analysis was conducted using a national claims database comprising data from almost all Japanese residents. We examined patients who underwent any of the following surgeries between April 2012 and March 2018: amputation (AMP), spinal fusion (FUSN), open reduction of fracture (FX), hip prosthesis (HPRO), knee prosthesis (KPRO), and laminectomy (LAM). Propensity score matching was performed to identify non-SSI control patients, and generalized estimating equations were used to estimate the differences in outcomes between the case and control groups. The numbers of MRSA SSI cases (infection rates) ranged from 64 (0.03%) to 1,152 (2.33%). MRSA SSI-attributable increases in healthcare expenditure ranged from $11,630 ($21,151 vs. $9,521) for LAM to $35,693 ($50,122 vs. $14,429) for FX, and increases in hospital stay ranged from 40.6 days (59.2 vs. 18.6) for LAM to 89.5 days (122.0 vs. 32.5) for FX. In conclusion, MRSA SSIs contribute to substantial increases in healthcare resource utilization, emphasizing the need to implement effective infection prevention measures for orthopedic surgeries.