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Sepsis and pneumonia hit hospitals' wallets

Hospitalist Leadership Connection, February 23, 2010

Sepsis and pneumonia costs hospitals thousands of dollars, according to a new study, “Clinical and economic outcomes attributable to healthcare-associated sepsis and pneumonia,” published in the February 22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

Researchers analyzed the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database. In invasive surgery cases, sepsis cases had a mean length of stay of 10.9 days, with a mortality rate of 19.5%, totaling costs of $32,900. Pneumonia cases had a mean length of stay of 14 days and 11.4% mortality rate, totaling $46,400.

Comparatively, cases that did not involve invasive surgery had lower costs. Sepsis cases had a mean length of stay of 1.9–6 days and mortality rate of 11.7–16%, costing $5,800–$12,700. Pneumonia cases had a mean length of stay of 3.7–9.7 days and mortality rate of 4.6–10.3%, costing $11,100–$22,300.

“Healthcare–associated sepsis and pneumonia impose substantial clinical and economic costs,” the study states.

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