Outcome and attributable cost of ventilator-associated pneumonia among intensive care unit patients in a suburban medical center.

Publication/Presentation Date

5-1-2003

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine the attributable cost of ventilator-associated pneumonia from a hospital-based cost perspective, after adjusting for potential confounders.

DESIGN: Patients admitted between January 19, 1998, and December 31, 1999, were followed prospectively for the occurrence of ventilator-associated pneumonia. Hospital costs were defined by using the hospital cost accounting database.

SETTING: The medical and surgical intensive care units at a suburban, tertiary care hospital.

PATIENTS: Patients requiring >24 hrs of mechanical ventilation.

INTERVENTIONS: None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We measured occurrence of ventilator-associated pneumonia, in-hospital mortality rate, total intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital lengths of stay (LOS), and total hospital cost per patient. Ventilator-associated pneumonia occurred in 127 of 819 patients (15.5%). Compared with uninfected, ventilated patients, patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia had a higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score on admission (p

CONCLUSIONS: Patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia had significantly longer ICU and hospital LOS, with higher crude hospital cost and mortality rate compared with uninfected patients. After we adjusted for underlying severity of illness, the attributable cost of ventilator-associated pneumonia was approximately 11,897 dollars.

Volume

31

Issue

5

First Page

1312

Last Page

1317

ISSN

0090-3493

Disciplines

Community Health and Preventive Medicine | Health Services Research | Medicine and Health Sciences

PubMedID

12771596

Department(s)

Department of Community Health and Health Studies

Document Type

Article

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