Resource use in patients hospitalized with complicated skin and soft tissue infections in Europe and analysis of vulnerable groups: The REACH study.

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Resource use in patients hospitalized with complicated skin and soft tissue infections in Europe and analysis of vulnerable groups: The REACH study.

J Med Econ. 2014 Jul 1;:1-33

Authors: Ostermann H, Blasi F, Medina J, Pascual E, McBride K, Garau J

Abstract
Abstract Background: Hospitalized patients with complicated skin and soft tissue infections (cSSTI) present a substantial economic burden, and resource use can vary according to the presence of comorbidities, choice of antibiotic agent and the requirement for initial treatment modification. REACH (NCT01293435) was a retrospective, observational study aimed at collecting empirical data on current (year 2010-2011) management strategies of cSSTI in ten European countries. Methods: Patients (n=1,995) were aged ≥18 years, hospitalized with a cSSTI and receiving intravenous antibiotics. Data, collected via electronic Case Report Forms, detailed patient characteristics, medical history, disease characteristics, microbiological diagnosis, disease course and outcomes, treatments before and during hospitalization, and health resource consumption. Results: For the analysis population, mean length of hospital stay (including duration of hospitalizations for patients with recurrences) was 18.5 days (median 12.0). Increased length of hospital stay was found for patients with comorbidities versus those without (mean 19.9; [median 14.0] days vs.13.3 [median 8.0] days), for patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus compared with patients with methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (mean 27.7 [median 19.5] days vs. 18.4 [median 13.0] days) and for patients requiring surgery (mean 24.4 [median 16.0] days vs. 15.0 [median 11.0] days). Patients requiring modification of their initial antibiotic treatment had an associated increase in mean length of hospital stay of 10.9 days (median 6.5) and additional associated hospital resource use. A multivariate analysis confirmed the association of nosocomial infections, comorbidities, directed treatment, recurrent infections, diabetes, recent surgery and older age (≥65 years), with longer hospital stay. Conclusions: This study provides real-life data on factors that are expected to impact length of hospital stay, to guide clinical decision making to improve outcomes and reduce resource use in patients with cSSTI.

PMID: 24983206 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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