For the study, researchers used multivariable regression models to assess hospitalization costs and length of stay for 6.4 million inpatient stays involving bacterial infections in 2014.
Three study findings:
1. At least 10.8 percent of inpatient stays involving a bacterial infection showed evidence of one or more multidrug-resistant organisms.
2. Researchers estimated the cost of treating multidrug-resistant infections in the inpatient setting is at least $2.39 billion annually. When accounting for undercoded infections, this estimate jumps to $3.38 billion.
3. Researchers also estimated additional costs per inpatient stay for the following types of infections:
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus — $1,718
- Clostridium difficile — $4,617
- Infection with a different multidrug-resistant organism — $2,302
- Infection with more than one multidrug-resistant organism — $3,570
“Infections associated with [multidrug-resistant organisms] result in a substantial cost burden to the U.S. healthcare system,” researchers concluded.
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