Hospital Testing for Drug-Resistant Infections Dramatically Lowers Mortality Rates...(nt sooner. The report indicates that...),Health

The report indicates that patients tested for antimicrobial susceptibility had significantly lower mortality rates, lengths of stay, and overall treatment costs than patients who were not tested.

Key findings include:

-- Among patients with a secondary staph infection diagnosis, those tested for antimicrobial susceptibility had 52 percent lower probability of death before discharge, 17 percent lower mean length of stay (-1.8 days), and 22 percent lower cost than those who did not. Antimicrobial testing in this group was associated with $6,978 lower cost per discharge. The potential aggregate cost reduction from antimicrobial susceptibility testing of all patients hospitalized with this diagnosis in 2005 was $8.3 billion.

-- Among patients with any infectious and parasitic disease diagnosis, those tested for antimicrobial susceptibility had 30 percent lower probability of death before discharge, 26 percent lower mean length of stay (-1.8 days), and 36 percent lower cost than those who did not. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing in this group is associated with $7,524 lower cost per discharge.

To access a copy of the full report, please visit the News Room section of AdvaMed's Web site at http://www.advamed.org.

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