[Study of costs associated with catheter-related bacteremia]

Nosocomial infection (NI) is associated with an increase in resource consumption. The estimation of extra costs attributable to NI in a group of patients with catheter-related bacteremia (CRB) was the objective of the present study.

A matched case-control, study was conducted in a cohort population. Individual matching was accomplished departing from the diagnosis related group (DRG) to which the case patient episode was ascribed and later searching in the hospital discharge data base using the following parameters: DRG, sex, age, admission date, department, comparison of hospital stays, main diagnosis, co-morbidity, number of secondary diagnoses and procedures. Matching was obtained for 22 cases (68.7%), upon which the cost estimations were performed.

The mean hospital stay length for cases was 26.5 days (median: 24.5) and for controls 14.5 days (median: 13.5), p = 0.0002. The excess stay attributable to CRB was 11.5 days. The use of diagnostic resources was significantly higher for bacteriological tests and complete blood counts. The consumption of antibiotics and fluid therapy was higher in infected patients. Eighty-nine percent of 536,736 pesetas, the total excess of the estimated cost per episode, corresponded to the increase in hospital stay length. Seven patients (32%) were responsible for 64% of the total of extra costs.

The method employed proved useful for estimating the costs associated with NI. The prolongation of hospital stay is responsible for most of the associated cost.