Background
Although several studies have estimated the attributable cost and length of stay (LOS)
of central line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) in the pediatric intensive
care unit setting, little is known about the attributable costs and LOS of CLABSIs
in the vulnerable pediatric hematology/oncology population.
Methods
We studied a total of 1562 inpatient admissions for 291 pediatric hematology/oncology
patients at a single tertiary care children's hospital in the mid-Atlantic region
between January 2008 and May 2011. Costs were normalized to year 2011 dollars. Propensity
score matching was used to estimate the effect of CLABSIs on total cost and LOS while
controlling for other covariates.
Results
Sixty CLABSIs occurred during the 1562 admissions. Compared with the patients without
a CLABSI, those who developed a CLABSI tended to be older (9.0 years vs 7.5 years;
P = .026) and to have a tunneled catheter (46.7% vs 27.0%) and a peripherally inserted
central catheter (20.0% vs 11.2%) as opposed to other types of catheters (P < .0001). Propensity score matching yielded matched groups without significant differences
in patient characteristics. In the propensity score analysis, the attributable LOS
of a CLABSI was 21.2 days (P < .0001), and the attributable cost of a CLABSI was $69,332 (P < .0001).
Conclusions
Among pediatric hematology/oncology patients, CLABSI was associated with an additional
LOS of 21 days and increased costs of nearly $70,000. These findings may inform decisions
regarding the value of investing in efforts to prevent CLABSIs in this vulnerable
population.
Key Words
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Article info
Footnotes
Conflict of interest: None to report.
Identification
Copyright
© 2014 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
