CLINICAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF THE HOSPITALIZATION OF PATIENTS WITH POSITIVE BLOOD CULTURES

Abstract

Introduction: bloodstream infections are one of the most important nosocomial infections. And, although their impact on patients’ morbidity and mortality is known, the financial impact is still poorly understood. The objective is to evaluate the clinical and economic impact of hospitalization of patients with positive blood cultures. Outline: study developed in a tertiary hospital, including patients hospitalized in 2017 and who collected blood cultures. Results: the sample consisted of 1,164 patients, 22.42% of whom had at least one positive blood culture. Positive blood cultures were associated with periods of hospitalization longer than 15 days, admission to the intensive care unit and deaths ( p <0.001). All direct and total direct costs of patients with positive blood cultures were significantly higher than those with negative blood cultures. Hospitalization of patients with positive blood cultures had an average total cost of R$6,310.16, higher than those with negative blood cultures, which was R$2,808.07. Antimicrobial therapy in patients with positive blood cultures corresponded to three times the value of patients with negative blood cultures. Implications: positive blood cultures were associated with negative impacts on clinical variables and economic aspects, reflecting the increase in direct costs of hospitalization.