New study on cost of treating Antibiotic-Resistant Infections

Martina

A new study, published in Health Affairs, examined the national health care costs attributable to treating antibiotic-resistant infections. Rising infection rates add to the costs of health care and compromise the quality of medical and surgical procedures provided but little is known about the national health care costs attributable to treating the infections. Using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, researchers estimated the incremental health care costs of treating a resistant infection as well as the total national costs of treating such infections. Researchers found that antibiotic resistance added $1,383 to the cost of treating a patient with a bacterial infection, amounting to a national cost of $2.2 billion annually. These study findings highlight the need for innovative new infection prevention programs, antibiotics, and vaccines to prevent and treat antibiotic-resistant infections is an international priority.

• Antibiotic-Resistant Infection Treatment Costs Have Doubled Since 2002, Now Exceeding $2 Billion Annually. Health Affairs. March 21, 2018