Hospital costs for patients with lower extremity cellulitis: a retrospective population-based study

Douglas Challener, Jasmine R Marcelin, Sue Visscher, Larry Baddour

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

RESULTS: Thirty-four patients had an average hospital length of stay of 4.7 days. The median total inpatient cost was $7,341. The median cost per day was $2,087, with 49% due to room and board. Antibiotics administered for treatment of NLEC contributed a median cost of $75 per day of hospitalization, and laboratory and imaging test costs were $73 and $44, respectively, per day of hospitalization.

CONCLUSION: Hospitalizations for NLEC can be costly and prolonged with room and board accounting for much of the cost. Therefore, newer management strategies should seek to reduce hospital length of stay and/or avoid inpatient admission to reduce cost.

OBJECTIVES: Hospital admissions for non-purulent lower extremity cellulitis (NLEC) are common and can be prolonged and costly. Newer treatment options and preventive strategies are expected to result in cost savings before implementation, but few studies have quantified the cost of conventional treatment.

METHODS: Using the Rochester Epidemiology Project, the incidence of NLEC in Olmsted County, MN in 2013 was 176.6 per 100,000 persons. The subset of patients who required hospitalization for NLEC in 2013 was determined. Hospital admissions were analyzed retrospectively using standardized cost analysis within several relevant categories.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)196-200
Number of pages5
JournalHospital practice (1995)
Volume45
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1 2017

Keywords

  • Lower extremity cellulitis
  • Rochester epidemiology project
  • cost
  • hospitalization
  • inpatient
  • population-based

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Medicine(all)

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