Attributable Costs of Clostridioides difficile Infections in Korea

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is one of the most common hospital-acquired infections, with its incidence and disease burden increasing markedly worldwide over the past decade.

To assess the attributable costs of CDI in Korea, the expenses related to hospital management of CDI cases were computed. This analysis used data from the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort spanning a decade (2010-2019). The annual national burden of CDI was determined by combining the attributable cost per CDI case with the number of patients with CDI obtained from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service data.

The attributable costs of CDI were determined based on variations in the length of hospital stay and medical costs between patients with CDI and control patients. The mean length of hospital stay was significantly longer for patients with CDI than that for control patients: 43.06 vs. 14.76 days (a difference of 28.30 days, P < 0.001). The adjusted medical costs (2019 = 100) for cases of CDI and controls were 11,162 USD and 3,318 USD, respectively, with a significant difference of 7,843 USD (P < 0.001). The cost of CDI per case exhibited a noticeable annual increase from 2010 to 2019, despite an annual decreasing trend in length of hospital stay. The estimated national cost attributed to CDI was $28.9 million in 2010; however, it increased gradually each year, reaching $205.6 million in 2019 (a 600% increase over 10 years).

CDI is associated with substantial healthcare costs in Korea. The economic burden of CDI has gradually increased in South Korea.