Resumen

ALVAREZ-HERNANDEZ, Gerardo  y  AMARO-ORTEGA, Citlalyn. Attributable costs and risk factors for pediatric nosocomial infection at a Pediatric Hospital of the State of Sonora (2008). Bol. Med. Hosp. Infant. Mex. [online]. 2010, vol.67, n.2, pp.118-127. ISSN 1665-1146.

Background: Hospital acquired-infections (HAI) generate substantial financial burden to the budget of medical institutions, mainly due to the additional costs derived from risk factors associated with medical procedures. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out at a pediatric Hospital of the State of Sonora from October 2007-January 2008. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to estimate the risk of HAI. Economic burden was assessed through a partial analysis of costs. Results: We found that length of hospital stay [OR = 34.1, 95% CI (5.2, 59.9)] and device utilization [central catheter (OR = 7.5, 95% CI (2.2, 12.4)] or peripheral catheter [OR = 10.2, 95% CI (3.3, 17.7)] were associated with the development of HAI. The total economic cost of 51 HAI episodes was $109 841 USD, whereas the average cost/episode was $2062 USD. Conclusion: The economic costs attributable to HAI caused an excess of 56% in the global costs of hospitalized patients. Strategies to reduce the length of hospital stay as well as to improve catheter manipulation can contribute to reduce the risk of HAI and to avoid the excessive cost generated by its occurrence.

Palabras llave : hospital-acquired infections; cost analysis; pediatrics; Sonora.