Determining the Cost and Length of Stay at Intensive Care Units and the Factors Influencing Them in a Teaching Hospital in Malaysia

Neonatal intensive care is associated with high costs world-wide and remains a matter of financial stress for families. This is an issue of great importance in a developing country like ours as financial burden may have a negative impact in the overall outcome of a newborn. The objective of this study was to evaluate the direct cost of treating newborns by family members in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This was a prospective cross sectional study carried out in the NICU of Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal. There were 96 neonates included in this study over a period of 3 months from September to November 2020. The average cost per neonate per day was NRs. 5858 (USD 50). The highest health expenditure was incurred in neonates of gestational age of 32 to less than 37 weeks, and it was also significantly higher in neonates having birth weights less than 1.5kg. Preterms with hyaline membrane disease, followed by newborns with meconium aspiration syndrome resulted in maximum health costs. Maximum expenditure of the total bill was due to the cost of the bed charges. The median length of stay in the study was 5 days and the length of stay was directly and significantly related to the treatment costs.

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Impact of Nosocomial Infection on Cost of Illness and Length of Stay in Intensive Care Units

Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology ◽

10.1086/502540 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 26 (3) ◽

pp. 281-287 ◽

Cited By ~ 71

Author(s):

Yin-Yin Chen ◽

Yi-Chang Chou ◽

Pesus Chou

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care ◽

Length Of Stay ◽

Nosocomial Infection ◽

Intensive Care Units ◽

Cost Of Illness ◽

Nosocomial Infections ◽

Medical Center ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

The Cost ◽

The Impact

AbstractObjective:Economic evaluation has become increasingly important in healthcare and infection control. This study evaluated the impact of nosocomial infections on cost of illness and length of stay (LOS) in intensive care units (ICUs).Design:A retrospective cohort study.Setting:Medical, surgical, and mixed medical and surgical ICUs in a tertiary-care referral medical center.Patients:Patients admitted to adult ICUs between October 2001 and June 2002 were eligible for the study.Methods:Estimates of the cost and LOS for patients who acquired a nosocomial infection were computed using a stratified analysis and regression approach.Results:During the study period, 778 patients were admitted to the ICUs. Total costs for patients with and without nosocomial infections (median cost, $10,354 and $3,985, respectively) were significantly different (P < .05). The costs stratified by infection site (median differences from $4,687 to $7,365) and primary diagnosis (median differences from $5,585 to $16,507) were also significantly different (P < .05) except for surgical-site infection. After covariates were adjusted for in the multiple linear regression, nosocomial infection increased the total costs by $3,306 per patient and increased the LOS by 18.2 days per patient (P < .001). Each additional day spent in the ICU increased the cost per patient by $353 (P < .001).Conclusions:Nosocomial infections are associated with increased cost of illness and LOS. Prevention of nosocomial infections should reduce direct costs and decrease the LOS.

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