title: Cost savings through technological change in the administration of antibiotics.
abstract: Once-daily antibiotics (ODAs) represent a technological change in hospital processes that can lead to substantial savings of scarce resources. In a three-hospital prospective study, five antibiotics were administered to 58 patients suffering from infections classified by major body system. Savings ranged from 10.9% to 38%, depending on hospital organization, method of delivery, and daily dose. Per-unit price proved a poor indicator of hospital cost, as variable delivery costs for labor and materials ranged from 11.6% to 39.5% of total costs.
authors.affiliation: University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Liaropoulos
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000191:economics; D003363:Cost Control; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D016527:Drug Costs; D005060:Europe; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008510:Medication Systems, Hospital / Q000191:economics*; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents