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Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology Publication Info

Article DOI: 10.1086/501931
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/501931
Costs and Savings Associated With Infection Control Measures That Reduced Transmission of Vancomycin‐Resistant Enterococci in an Endemic Setting • 
Marisa A. Montecalvo , MD, William R. Jarvis , MD, Jane Uman , MPH, David K. Shay , MD, MPH, Coleen Petrullo , RN, Harold W. Horowitz , MD and Gary P. Wormser , MD
Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology , Vol. 22, No. 7 (July 2001), pp. 437-442
Article DOI: 10.1086/501931
Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/501931
Original Articles

Costs and Savings Associated With Infection Control Measures That Reduced Transmission of Vancomycin‐Resistant Enterococci in an Endemic Setting

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Abstract(back to top)

OBJECTIVE. To determine the costs and savings of a 15‐component infection control program that reduced transmission of vancomycin‐resistant enterococci (VRE) in an endemic setting.

DESIGN. Evaluation of costs and savings, using historical control data.

SETTING. Adult oncology unit of a 650‐bed hospital.

PARTICIPANTS. Patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and solid tumors, excluding bone marrow transplant recipients.

METHODS. Costs and savings with estimated ranges were calculated. Excess length of stay (LOS) associated with VRE bloodstream infection (BSI) was determined by matching VRE BSI patients with VRE‐negative patients by oncology diagnosis. Differences in LOS between the matched groups were evaluated using a mixed‐effect analysis of variance linearregression model.

RESULTS. The cost of enhanced infection control strategies for 1 year was $116,515. VRE BSI was associated with an increased LOS of 13.7 days. The savings associated with fewer VRE BSI ($123,081), fewer patients with VRE colonization ($2,755), and reductions in antimicrobial use ($179,997) totaled $305,833. Estimated ranges of costs and savings for enhanced infection control strategies were $97,939 to $148,883 for costs and $271,531 to $421,461 for savings.

CONCLUSION. The net savings due to enhanced infection control strategies for 1 year was $189,318. Estimates suggest that these strategies would be cost‐beneficial for hospital units where the number of patients with VRE BSI is at least six to nine patients per year or if the savings from fewer VRE BSI patients in combination with decreased antimicrobial use equalled $100,000 to $150,000 per year.

Bibliographic Information(back to top)

  • Costs and Savings Associated With Infection Control Measures That Reduced Transmission of Vancomycin‐Resistant Enterococci in an Endemic Setting
  • Marisa A. Montecalvo , MD, William R. Jarvis , MD, Jane Uman , MPH, David K. Shay , MD, MPH, Coleen Petrullo , RN, Harold W. Horowitz , MD and Gary P. Wormser , MD
  • Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology
  • Vol. 22, No. 7 (July 2001) (pp. 437-442)

Author Information(back to top)

Marisa A. Montecalvo , MD; William R. Jarvis , MD; Jane Uman , MPH; David K. Shay , MD, MPH; Coleen Petrullo , RN; Harold W. Horowitz , MD; Gary P. Wormser , MD

Notes and References(back to top)

This item contains 1 note(s).

Notes

From the Division of Infectious Diseases (Drs. Montecalvo, Horowitz, and Wormser; Ms. Petrullo), and the Graduate School of Health Sciences (Ms. Uman), New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York; and the Hospital Infections Program (Drs. Jarvis and Shay), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.Address reprint requests to Marisa A. Montecalvo, MD, Division of Infectious Diseases, New York Medical College, Macy Pavilion 209SE, Valhalla, NY 10595.This study was supported by contract #200‐94‐0860 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and was presented in part at the 37th Interscience Conference in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 1997. Abstract J84. The authors thank Tauseef Ahmed, Hoo Chun, Carol Diventi, Connie Engleking, Eric Feldman, Cheryl Gedris, Robert Nadelman, John Nowakowski, Carmelo Puccio, Karen Seiter, Catharine Spratt, Paul Visintainer, and the nursing staff of the oncology unit for their contributions to this study, and Barbara Moreland for secretarial assistance. J. Uman currently is affiliated with the Maryland Women’s Health Study at the University of Maryland–Baltimore. Dr. Shay currently is affiliated with the Respiratory and Enteric Viruses Branch, CDC.00‐OA‐213. Montecalvo MA, Jarvis WR, Uman J, Shay DK, Petrullo C, Horowitz HW, Wormser GP. Costs and savings associated with infection control measures that reduced transmission of vanComycin‐resistant enterococci in an endemic setting. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2001;22:437‐442.

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© 2001 by The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. All rights reserved.