• E-mail
• Print
• RSS

Study: Number, cost of U.S. hospital infections on the rise

Patient Safety Monitor Alert, September 26, 2007

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Patient Safety Monitor Alert!

A new study of inpatient data from United States hospitals found that the number of infections caused by the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium increased by more than 7% each year from 1998 to 2003. As a result, the economic burden to hospitals rose by nearly 12% annually, according to the study published in the November 1 Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Staph aureus is a significant cause of ailments from minor skin infections to life-threatening diseases such as pneumonia and meningitis. In 1998, U.S. hospitals reported more than 250,000 staph infections, with more than 7% of those patients dying. By 2003, hospitals reported nearly 390,000 infections.

The study's authors say one possible reason for the increase of infections is the documented increase in the "superbug" methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Another reason could be that physicians and hospitals have improved their detection and reporting of infections.

The study also found that the staph-related in-hospital mortality rate dropped by nearly 5% each year, which may be due to the introduction of stricter infection control programs and more aggressive treatment of MRSA infections.

Hospital expenditures associated with staph infections increased from $8.7 billion in 1998 to $14.5 billion in 2003, the study found. This includes extended length of stay and additional surgery, medications, lab tests, and radiologic studies.

Visit http://www.idsociety.org for more information on the study.

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Patient Safety Monitor Alert!

• E-mail to a Colleague
• Print
• RSS
• Archive