Costs Associated with Candidemia in a Hospital Setting

cause of all hospital-acquired bloodstream infections.1–3 The negative health consequences associated with candidemia are very high.4–7 Previous studies report mortality rates attributable to candidemia ranging from 19% to 49% in adults.4,6,8,9 In addition, length of stay (LOS) in the hospital increases significantly among patients with candidemia. One study estimated a mean LOS increase of 21.1 days for children and 10.1 days for adults.4 Although many studies have investigated the epidemiology and clinical consequences of candidemia,10–14 the information about its effect on inpatient costs is limited. One study of hospitalized adults found a mean increase in hospital charges attributable to candidemia of almost $40,000.4 Another study estimated average major costs associated with candidemia at approximately $35,000 for Medicare patients and $45,000 for privately insured patients.6 These studies relied on claims data to identify study populations. Because of the acknowledged limitations of administrative data,15 the methods employed in these studies might have led to an inaccurate sample selection and, consequently, to a possible underestimation of the actual burden of candidemia. The objective of this study was to determine the cost of candidemia in patients at a large urban academic tertiary-care hospital.