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Four important outcomes associated with postoperative nosocomial infection were evaluated, namely: costs, mortality, excess length of stay, and utilization of healthcare resources. See how the results of the study show that postoperative nosocomial infection was associated with increased costs of care and with increased utilization of medical resources.
Approximately 2.1 million patients in the United States acquire infections during medical care every year. , Up to 30% of those patients who undergo surgery acquire nosocomial infections.
Overall, nosocomial infections increase mortality and morbidity above that expected on that basis of the patients’ underlying illnesses and increase the cost of care.
Employers, third-party payers, the government, and managed care organizations now scrutinize the cost of medical care and deny payment for specific tests, treatments, hospital days, and complications of care. Concurrently, changes in treatment protocols, patient populations, nurse-to-patient ratios, and healthcare delivery are all contributing to the increasing risks of complications such as nosocomial infections. As a result, costs and utilization of healthcare resources may increase despite efforts and demands to decrease both.
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