Aim: This study was undertaken to determine the cost of healthcare-associated bloodstream infections (HA-BSI) in adult patients admitted to an Auckland City Hospital.
Method: A matched cohort study was performed with a 1:2 or 1:1 match in which all patients admitted between January and June 2005 who had HA-BSI were included. Controls were selected from patients admitted between July 2004 and December 2006. Patients with haemodialysis central line-related HA-BSI were not matched with controls as the admission was related purely to that episode of infection.
Results: There were 106 episodes of HA-BSI in 99 patients. Fifty-five patients were able to be matched 1:1 or 1:2 with controls, group 1. Nineteen BSI episodes were in patients undergoing renal replacement therapy by haemodialysis and the patients were admitted as a consequence of this episode of infection, group 2. An episode of HA-BSI increased the length of the hospital admission by 9.7 days and 7.9 days in group 1 and group 2, respectively. The excess cost associated with an episode of HA- BSI was $20,394 in group 1 and $11,139 in group 2.
Conclusion: There are substantial costs associated with HA-BSI. A proportion of these infections can be reduced by effective infection control measures.