MRSA costs are high

HighWire — Medline Abstract
Twenty four patients with MRSA infection were compared to 64 patients with MSSA infections. Patients with MRSA infection were older (56 vs. 45 years, P < 0.01), had longer length of stay (47 vs. 35 days, P < 0.05) and were infected later (22 vs. 10 days, P < 0.00001) than patients with MSSA infection. No difference was observed between the two groups according to the Omega index, acute simplify index and mortality. MRSA infections involved extra cost due to antimicrobial treatment (184 vs. 72, P < 0.005) and length of stay (37 278 vs. 27 755, P < 0.05). Conclusion. - Patient infected by MRSA seems to be different from patient infected by MSSA but without consequence on Omega index and mortality. But methicillin-resistance involves extra cost due to antimicrobial treatment and length of stay.