Feasible and desirable future targets for reducing the costs of hospital infections.
The authors propose that there are, in general, five methods to reduce the costs of hospital infection: reduce the incidence, reduce the morbidity causing prolonged illness, reduce hospital stay, reduce the costs of currently effective preventive and control measures, and stop all ineffective measures. The feasible and desirable components of these methods are described.
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City.
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Wenzel
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MA
Pfaller
D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D003363:Cost Control / Q000379:methods*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics; D009017:Morbidity