Antibiotic-Resistant Infections Cost the U.S. Healthcare System in Excess of $20 Billio...(Oct. 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Di...),Health

"The findings indicate that significant health and economic benefits could be realized through effective interventions to reduce antimicrobial-resistant and healthcare-associated infections," according to Dr. Rebecca Roberts, Department of Emergency Medicine, Cook County (Stroger) Hospital and the lead study author.

"At a time when our country is debating how to deliver better, more affordable care, this study demonstrates the enormous cost savings that could be realized, for both the healthcare system and to individuals and their families. These costs will only continue to increase if we don't amend our behavior and practice a more prudent usage of antibiotics," said Dr. Stuart Levy, professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, a senior author of the paper and co-founder and president of the APUA, which initiated the study in accord with its mission to "preserve the power of antibiotics".

Extrapolating the costs nationwide

"The results offer some good insight regarding just how much ARIs are costing the nation: not just in terms of dollars, but human life and suffering," said Dr. Levy. "As the enormous costs identified here are viewed on a national scale, it is clear that effectively addressing the issue of antimicrobial-resistant infection is an essential element for stemming the rising tide of healthcare costs in the United States."

"Further study is required, specifically to see how much we could save on a national level if we took some basic steps to halt the development of resistant infections and their spread within hospitals," Dr. Levy said.

Dr. Roberts explained, "If we apply the conservative costs seen in the Cook County (Stroger) Hospital study to all U.S. hospital admissions i
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