What are the costs of nosocomial infections in your facility?
In 2002, the CDC estimated that the most common Hospital-Acquired Infections (HAIs) were urinary tract infections (UTIs), accounting for 36% of all nosocomial infections. That year, more than 13,000 deaths were attributed to hospital-acquired urinary tract infection. 1
Up to 25% of hospitalized patients have a urinary catheter placed during their stay. 2 The use of indwelling urinary catheters accounts for 80% of nosocomial UTIs. 3
Cost estimates for UTIs range from $589 to $4,693.23 per case. 4,5
Better care, lower costs
Portable bladder ultrasound devices can assess bladder volumes accurately and reliably - and many catheterizations can be avoided. 6 Two research units found that use of BladderScan® instruments reduced catheter-related UTIs from 87% to 38% in one unit and 81% to 50% in another unit over a 12-month period. The hospital had an overall 50% decrease in UTIs. 7
After October 1, 2008, hospitals will not be paid for catheter-associated UTIs not present at time of patient admission. 8
References: 1. Klevens, RM, et al, Estimating Health Care-Associated Infections and Deaths in U.S. Hospitals, 2002, Public Health Reports, March – April 2007, Vol. 122, 160-166. 2. Saint, et.al, Preventing Hospital-Acquired Urinary Tract Infection in the United States: A National Study, J Clinical Infect Disease, 2008: 46, 243-250 3. Krieger, et.al. Urinary tract etiology of bloodstream infections in hospitalized patients. J Infect Dis. 1983; 148(1): 57-62. 4. Karchmer TB, et al, A Randomized Crossover Study of Silver-Coated Urinary Catheters in Hospitalized patients, Arch Intern Med. Vol. 160, 2000. 5. Tambyah PA, et.al, The Direct Costs of Nosocomial Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection in the Era of Managed Care, ICHE, Vol. 23, No. 1, 2002, 27-31. 6. Stevens, Bladder Ultrasound: Avoiding Unnecessary Catheterizations, Medsurg Nursing, August 2005, Vol. 14, No. 4, 249-253 7. Moore and Edwards, Using a Portable Bladder Scan to Reduce the Incidence of Nosocomial Urinary Tract Infections, Medsurg Nursing, 1997, 6(1), 39-43 8. Wald HL, Kramer AM, Nonpayment for Harms Resulting from Medical Care, JAMA, Vol. 298, No. 23, December 19, 2007, 2782-2784.
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