It has already been known that HAI cost can reach billions of dollars, and a study published today confirms the predictions. The article published in JAMA Internal Medicine argues that infections acquired during the course of medical treatment cost $9.8 billion annually in the US.
Researchers reviewed published data from 1998 through April 2013 and adjusted the costs for inflation in 2012 dollars. Surgical site infections contribute the most to overall costs, accounting for more than a third of the total. Individual cases of surgical site infections added an average of $20,785 to a patient’s medical bills. Bloodstream infections associated with a central line were less common but more expensive to treat, costing an average of $45,814 per case.