TY - JOUR

T1 - The Economic Burden of Clostridioides difficile in Denmark

T2 - A Retrospective Cohort Study

AU - Braae, Uffe Christian

AU - Møller, Frederik Trier

AU - Ibsen, Rikke

AU - Ethelberg, Steen

AU - Kjellberg, Jakob

AU - Mølbak, Kåre

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - Objectives: The aim of this study was to make a comprehensive economic assessment of the costs of hospital-acquired C. difficile infections (CDI). Methods: We carried out a retrospective matched cohort study utilizing Danish registry data with national coverage to identify CDI cases and matched reference patients without CDI (controls) for economic burden assessment in Denmark covering 2011–2014. Health care costs and public transfer costs were obtained from national registries, and calculated for 1 year prior to, and 2 years after index admission using descriptive statistics and regression analysis. Results: The study included 12,768 CDI patients and 23,272 matched controls. The total health care cost was significantly larger for CDI cases than controls throughout all periods. During the index admission period, cost was €12,867 per CDI case compared to €4,522 (p < 0.001) for controls, which increased to an average of €31,388 and €19,512 (p < 0.001) in Year 1 for the two groups, respectively. Excess costs were found both among infections with onset in hospitals and in the community. Diagnosis compatible with complications increased costs to on average >€91,000 per case. The regression analysis showed that CDI adds a substantial economic burden, but only explains about 1/3 of the crude difference observed in the matched analysis. Discussion: The major economic impact of hospital-acquired CDI with complications underlines the importance of preventing complications in these patients. Our study provides an informed estimate of the potential economic gain per patient by successful intervention, which is likely to be relatively comparable across countries.

AB - Objectives: The aim of this study was to make a comprehensive economic assessment of the costs of hospital-acquired C. difficile infections (CDI). Methods: We carried out a retrospective matched cohort study utilizing Danish registry data with national coverage to identify CDI cases and matched reference patients without CDI (controls) for economic burden assessment in Denmark covering 2011–2014. Health care costs and public transfer costs were obtained from national registries, and calculated for 1 year prior to, and 2 years after index admission using descriptive statistics and regression analysis. Results: The study included 12,768 CDI patients and 23,272 matched controls. The total health care cost was significantly larger for CDI cases than controls throughout all periods. During the index admission period, cost was €12,867 per CDI case compared to €4,522 (p < 0.001) for controls, which increased to an average of €31,388 and €19,512 (p < 0.001) in Year 1 for the two groups, respectively. Excess costs were found both among infections with onset in hospitals and in the community. Diagnosis compatible with complications increased costs to on average >€91,000 per case. The regression analysis showed that CDI adds a substantial economic burden, but only explains about 1/3 of the crude difference observed in the matched analysis. Discussion: The major economic impact of hospital-acquired CDI with complications underlines the importance of preventing complications in these patients. Our study provides an informed estimate of the potential economic gain per patient by successful intervention, which is likely to be relatively comparable across countries.

KW - CDI

KW - Clostridium difficile

KW - cohort study

KW - economic burden

KW - hospital acquired infections

KW - registries

U2 - 10.3389/fpubh.2020.562957

DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2020.562957

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 33324595

AN - SCOPUS:85097439338

VL - 8

JO - Frontiers in Public Health

JF - Frontiers in Public Health

SN - 2296-2565

M1 - 562957

ER -