Economic impact of treatment for surgical site infections in cases of total knee arthroplasty in a tertiary public hospital in Brazil

The aim of this study was to estimate the additional cost of treatment of a group of nosocomial infections in a tertiary public hospital. A retrospective observational cohort study was conducted by means of analyzing the medical records of 34 patients with infection after total knee arthroplasty, diagnosed in 2006 and 2007, who met the criteria for nosocomial infection according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To estimate the direct costs of treatment for these patients, the following data were gathered: length of hospital stay, laboratory tests, imaging examinations, and surgical procedures performed. Their costs were estimated from the minimum values according to the Brazilian Medical Association. The estimated cost of the antibiotics used was also obtained. The total length of stay in the ward was 976 days, at a cost of US$ 18,994.63, and, in the intensive care unit, it was 34 days at a cost of US$ 5,031.37. Forty-two debridement procedures were performed, at a cost of US$ 5,798.06, and 1965 tests (laboratory and imaging) were also performed, at a cost of US$ 15,359.25. US$ 20,845.01 was spent on antibiotics and US$ 1,735.16 on vacuum assisted closure therapy, microsurgical flaps, implant removal, spacer use, and surgical revision. The total additional cost of these cases of hospital infection in 2006 and 2007 was of US$ 91,843.75. Based on that, we demonstrate that the high cost of treatment for hospital infections emphasizes the importance of taking measures to prevent and control hospital infection.

Costo y desenlace de la infección de artroplastía de cadera: Estudio de caso y control / Cost and outcome of hip's arthroplasty nosocomial infection: Case and control study

Case-control study for evaluation of cost and outcome of nosocomial surgical site infection in primary hip arthroplasty during a period of 5 years. Mean hospitalization time in the orthopedic service was 54 days for cases, and 13 days for control (p < 0.05). Mean hospitalization time in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) was 1.1 days for cases. There were 0.83 post primary surgery interventions in cases, and a mean of 2.08 bacteriological cultures in each case. Controls didn't have hospitalizations in the ICU surgical reinterventions nor cultures necesary. The mean cost of infected patients was US $: 6,174.8. Mean cost in controls was US $: 2,354.7. The excess of cost due to infections was US $: 2,354.7 on the average. Outcomes in cases were: normal function 30.8 percent; moderate or serious sequelea 46.2 percent; death rate 15, 4 percent. The measured parameters contributed to raise case costs, and they caused an unsatisfactory outcome for two third of the patients.

Estudio de casos y controles efectuado para evaluar el costo y desenlace de la infección del sitio quirúrgico en artroplastía primaria de cadera en cinco años. La media de hospitalización en el Servicio de Traumatología fue de 54 días para los casos y 13 días para los controles (p < 0,05). La media de hospitalización en UCI de los casos fue 1,1 días; hubo 0,83 reintervenciones en los casos y una media de 2,08 cultivos por cada caso. Los controles no tenían hospitalización en UCI, reintervenciones, ni cultivos. El costo promedio de los pacientes infectados fue $ 3.241.800 (US $ 6.174,8). El costo promedio de los controles, alcanzó a $1.236.244 (US $ 2.354,7). El exceso promedio de costo por la infección fue de $ 2.005.556 (US $ 3.820,1). El desenlace fue el siguiente: función normal 30,8 por ciento; secuelas medianas y graves 46,2 por ciento; letalidad 15,4 por ciento. Los factores medidos contribuyeron a encarecer los costos de los casos y produjeron un desenlace insatisfactorio para dos tercios de los pacientes.