Hospital Costs for Inpatients with Septicemia Total $20.3 Billion in 2011

Total annual cost of hospital care for septicemia (excluding patients in labor) in U.S. hospitals in 2011.

The figure represents 1.094 million discharges. It’s the first among 20 big-ticket medical conditions listed in an August 2013 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Statistical Brief, highlighted in Becker’s Hospital Review.^3,4

Other high-cost conditions on the list were osteoarthritis ($14.8 billion; 964,000 discharges); complications of device, implement, or graft (12.9 billion; 699,000 discharges); and general childbirth (12.4 billion; 3,819,000).

References

1. Chang W, Maynard G, Clay B. Implementation of a computerized COPD inpatient pathway and transition pathway [abstract]. J Hosp Med. 2013;8 Suppl 1:709.
2. Schmitt S, McQuillen DP, Nahass R, et al. Infectious diseases specialty intervention is associated with decreased mortality and lower healthcare costs [published online ahead of print September 25, 2013]. Clin Infect Dis.
3. Torio CM, Andrews RM. National inpatient hospital costs: the most expensive conditions by payer, 2011. Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #160. Available at: http://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/reports/statbriefs/sb160.jsp. Accessed October 26, 2013.
4. Herman B. Top 20 most expensive inpatient conditions. Becker’s Hospital Review. Oct. 9, 2013. Available at: http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/racs-/-icd-9-/-icd-10/top-20-most-expensive-inpatient-conditions.html. Accessed October 26, 2013.