Clinical and Economic Outcomes Attributable to Health Care-Associated Sepsis and Pneumonia

The Question

Health care-associated infections affect 1.7 million hospitalizations each year, but the clinical and economic costs attributable to these infections are poorly understood.

What we found

In cases associated with invasive surgery, attributable mean length of stay was 10.9 days, costs were $32,900, and mortality was 19.5% for sepsis; corresponding values for pneumonia were 14.0 days, $46,400, and 11.4%, respectively (P < .001). In cases not associated with invasive surgery, attributable mean length of stay, costs, and mortality were estimated to be 1.9 to 6.0 days, $5800 to $12,700, and 11.7% to 16.0% for sepsis and 3.7 to 9.7 days, $11,100 to $22,300, and 4.6% to 10.3% for pneumonia (P < .001).

Why it matters

Health care-associated pneumonia and sepsis impose substantial clinical and economic costs.