title: Clinical and economic analysis of hospital acquired infections in patients diagnosed with brain tumor in a tertiary hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the relationship between hospital acquired infections and clinical outcomes, duration of stay, and cost per infectious episode in patients diagnosed with brain tumors in our service.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective study on patients diagnosed with brain tumors and admitted to the department of neurosurgery in the Cruces Hospital of the University of the Basque Country between January 1st, 2007 and December 31st, 2007. We collected demographics, responsible pathogens, infection location, length of hospitalization, and costs of various medical and surgical procedures performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We reviewed 139 patients that accumulated 210 hospital visits. We found 34 episodes of hospital acquired infections (16.25% of patients). The most frequent infections were that of the lower respiratory tract, urinary tract, and surgical site. We found that patients with HAIs had a significantly lower final KPS score (sig <0.01), greater mean cost of stay (17097 €, sig<0.01), and longer length of stay (15.45 days, sig<0.01). We did not find a significant difference in mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found significant association between the presence of HAIs and worse clinical outcomes, higher costs, and longer length of stay. The pathogens responsible and infection locations were similar to existing series in the literature. Although variability in study designs in the literature makes interpretation and comparison of results difficult, measures to prevent these complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Arnau Hospital, Villanova, Lleida. joseundabeitia@hotmail.com
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Undabeitia
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Catalán
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bilbao
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pomposo
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Garibi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000191:economics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000191:economics* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies