THE ESTIMATION OF COSTS ATTRIBUTABLE TO N OSOCOMIAL INFECTION - PROLONGATION OF HOSPITALIZATION AND CALCULATION OF ALTERNATIVE COSTS

BACKGROUND: Nosocomial infection represents a prolongation of hospital stay and an increase of costs. The aim of the study was to estimate a ttributable costs by means of two methods: calculation of costs result ing from an increase of hospital stay and calculation of costs attribu ted to services. METHODS: A matched case-control study was carried out with a cohort population. An appropriate control was found for 63 pat ients with surgical site infection, for 30 patients with respiratory i nfection and for 55 with urinary infection. The estimation of costs at tributable to services includes the case-control pairs with surgical s ite infection and was performed of the sum of costs of diagnostic and therapeutic services rendered in the care of the surgical site infecti on. RESULTS: The median of postoperative stay was 21 days for cases wi th surgical site infection vs 10 days for controls (p < 0.001); the me dian length of stay was 21.5 days for cases with respiratory infection vs 11.5 days for controls (p < 0.01); and for urinary infection the m edian length of stay was 21 days for cases vs 15 days for controls (p < 0.01). The surgical site infection cost attributed to extra days was 310,310 pesetas and the surgical site infection cost attributed to se rvice costs was 220,546 pesetas. CONCLUSIONS: Nosocomial infection pro duces a increase median hospital stay of 7-10 days. In absence of a pr ecise accounting system, the prolongation of hospital saty was conside red as the more objective data to estimate the costs.