PIN49 - Hospital Lenght of Stay and Costs in Patients with Post Operative Wound Infection: Analysis of US National In-Patient Data for 2015 Using ICD-9 and ICD-10 Diagnoses

Abstract

To examine trends in hospital length of stay and total costs in patients with post operative wound infection. The latest available 2015 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) data set of hospital admissions from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project was utilized in order to determine the number of hospital admissions for patients with post operative wound infection (identified by ICD-9 for Q1-Q3 and ICD-10 codes for Q4). The LOS and costs were compared by payer type, race and age groups. Based on our inclusion criteria we found 36,132 admissions, representing 0.58% of all hospitalizations. The mean age was 56.68 years (SD: 18.3, Median 59 years). The overall mean LOS was 9.54 days (SD: 12.93, Median 6 days). Majority of the hospitalizations were in patients age 60+ (48%), followed by age 45-60 (29%). Mean (SD) LOS by age: 0-18: 15 days (SD: 30, n= 1279), 18-45: 7.94 days (SD: 10.86, n= 6869), 45-59: 9.1 days (SD: 12.28, n= 10464), 60+: 9.99 days (SD: 11.71, n= 17520). The mean LOS by payer: Medicare: 9.85 days (SD: 11.68), Medicaid: 10.76 days (SD: 17.6), Private: 8.44 days (SD: 11.3). The overall mean charges were $95,718 (SD: $184110). The mean costs by age group were 0-18: $176,574 (SD: $416811), 18-45: $80,376 (SD: $166306), 45-59: $89,990 (SD: $176629), 60+: $99,252 (SD: $164795). The mean costs by payer type were: Medicare: $98,859 (SD: $170291), Medicaid: $105,873 (SD: $221082), Private: $86,887 (SD: $176915). Patients with post operative wound infection incur high costs for public and private payers due to prolonged length of stay in the hospital. Better surgical approaches and drug treatments are needed to lower the incidence of such infections.