title: Potential economic impact of hospital-acquired infections in uninsured patients: a preliminary investigation.
abstract: We studied uninsured patients admitted to Rhode Island Hospital from January 1 through June 30, 2005, and from January 1 through June 30, 2006. The mean total hospital charge for an uninsured patient with a hospital-acquired infection was $18,487; for those without such an infection, it was $4,951 (P < .001). Multivariable linear regression revealed that a hospital-acquired infection accounted for 11.8 excess hospital days (P = .001). Length of stay was the only independent variable associated with total excess hospital charges.
authors.affiliation: Program in Public Health, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
authors.forename: Jess
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jefferson
authors.forename: Leonard A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Mermel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D017722:Hospital Charges; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D016014:Linear Models; D017057:Medically Uninsured; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012237:Rhode Island