PHC4 Research Brief | Issue 10, August 2006 - MRSA in Pennsylvania Hospitals

PHC4 Research Brief - MRSA in Pennsylvania Hospitals - News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Joe Martin, Communications Director
717-232-6787 or

MRSA LINKED TO NEARLY 14,000 PA HOSPITALIZATIONS IN 2004

Harrisburg, PA - August 25, 2006 - In 2004, there were 13,722 Pennsylvania hospitalizations in which patients had a Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) - related infection, according to a new research brief released today by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4). MRSA is a more serious form of the Staphylococcus aureus (often called "staph") bacteria and is a major health concern because of its resistance to commonly used antibiotics such as methicillin.

"MRSA, a virulent form of drug-resistant bacteria, can be community-acquired or hospital-acquired," said Marc P. Volavka, Executive Director of PHC4. "Yet no matter where MRSA is contracted, it can have significant health and financial consequences, and represents a titanic public health challenge." PHC4's latest report, being released today, does not distinguish between community and/or hospital-acquired MRSA infections.

Compared to patients without a MRSA infection, patients with a MRSA infection were four times as likely to die, had hospital stays more than two and a half times longer, with hospital charges three times as much for the hospitalization.

Specifically, the mortality rates for patients with and without a MRSA infection in 2004 were 8.9% and 2.1%, respectively. On average, patients with a MRSA infection stayed in the hospital eight days longer than patients without a MRSA infection. Whereas the average charge of a hospitalization with a MRSA infection was $87,990, the average charge for a hospitalization without a MRSA infection was $28,711.

In July of 2005, Pennsylvania (PHC4) became the first state to publicly report hospital-acquired infection numbers, and has issued two subsequent infection reports. Those reports have focused on four types of hospital-acquired infections (central line-associated bloodstream infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia, surgical site infections, and indwelling catheter-associated urinary tract infections).

PHC4 is now reporting that of the 1,932 patients identified by hospitals as having hospital-acquired bloodstream infections in year 2004, 11.2% (217) had a MRSA infection. Of the 1,335 patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia, 9.2% (123) had a MRSA infection. Of the 1,317 patients with hospital-acquired surgical site infections, 6.6% (87) had a MRSA infection. Of the 6,139 patients with hospital-acquired urinary tract infections, 3.3% (200) had a MRSA infection. It is not known if MRSA was the bacteria responsible for these hospital-acquired infections.

Other findings:

About half (50.9%) of all hospitalizations with MRSA infections were among patients with respiratory diseases, disorders of the circulatory system, and infectious and parasitic diseases.
More than half (54%) of hospitalizations with MRSA infections were for patients age 65 and older, followed by those in the 45 to 64 age category (27%) and the 25 to 44 age category (13%). The 18 to 24 age category and the 0 to 17 age category each comprised 3% of the MRSA hospitalizations.
The MRSA infection rate was similar for hospitals of all sizes.
Geographic differences in the rate of MRSA-related hospital discharges were found.
The Southeastern Pennsylvania region (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties) had the highest MRSA infection rate.
The Southcentral Pennsylvania region (Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, and York Counties) had the lowest MRSA infection rate.

The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council is an independent state agency charged with collecting, analyzing and reporting information that can be used to improve the quality and restrain the cost of health care in Pennsylvania. Copies of MRSA in Pennsylvania Hospitals are free and available on the Council's website at http://www.phc4.org or by calling PHC4 at 717-232-6787.