One potential reason for the convergence in costs of treating MSSA and MRSA is the emergence and spread of community-associated strains of MRSA. These strains, which are genetically distinct from hospital-associated strains and have different infection patterns and antibiotic susceptibilities, surged in the early 2000s.
Full Answer
How are hospital costs associated with MRSA-and MSSA-related infections calculated?
Costs for hospitalizations associated with MRSA- and MSSA-related septicemia and pneumonia infections, as well as MRSA- and MSSA-related infections from conditions classified elsewhere and of an unspecified site were calculated. Differences in the costs of hospitalization were estimated using propensity score adjusted mortality outcomes.
What is the best treatment for MRSA?
Antibiotics are commonly prescribed as a treatment for MRSA skin infections, either by themselves or along with draining of the infection by a healthcare professional. Antibiotics are also the standard medical therapy for internal MRSA infections. Antibiotic therapy is often prescribed for the following types of infections:
Is control of MRSA cost-effective?
MRSA is associated with serious morbidity and mortality, both within and without hospitals. Although the literature on the costs of MRSA and its control is suboptimal, it is clear that the control of MRSA is highly desirable and likely to be cost-effective. Any compromises in control are likely to be false economies.
Are MRSA-related hospitalizations associated with a higher mortality rate?
The research also demonstrated MRSA-related hospitalizations to be associated with a higher mortality rate when compared with MSSA-related hospitalizations.
Is MRSA treatment expensive?
Looking across four years of data, researchers found: Treatment costs for drug-resistant staph infections (MRSA-related pneumonia) were about $38,500 compared with more than $40,700 for pneumonias (MSSA–related pneumonias) in 2014.
How much does MRSA cost?
Costs associated with a MRSA infection are high, with an average hospital length of stay of 10 days and average hospital costs of $14,000. The average length of stay and hospital costs associated with MRSA are approximately 2 times higher than those of other hospital stays.
Why did MRSA become difficult to treat?
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacterium that causes infections in different parts of the body. It's tougher to treat than most strains of staphylococcus aureus -- or staph -- because it's resistant to some commonly used antibiotics. The symptoms of MRSA depend on where you're infected.
Why is MRSA such a big problem in hospitals?
MRSA infections occur in even the cleanest hospitals or nursing homes. That's because MRSA is typically spread by people, and hospitals are full of patients, visitors, and healthcare workers who might unknowingly carry and transmit the bacteria. MRSA is usually spread by direct contact with: an infected wound.
Is MRSA test covered by Medicare?
Claims for CPT Code 87641 (Infectious agent detection by nucleic acid (DNA or RNA); Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin resistant, amplified probe technique) services are not payable under Medicare Part B for screening purposes and will be denied.
How much does it cost to treat staph?
For patients not covered by health insurance, staph infection treatment can cost less than $20 for a minor skin infection that requires over-the-counter antibiotic cream or a prescription antibiotic and up to $200 or more for recurring skin infections that require months of treatment with a prescription cream.
Why is MRSA so resistant to antibiotics?
Gram-positive bacteria acquire resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics through the production of a protein called PBP2a, which is able to avoid the inhibitory effects of the antibiotics. This is the mechanism by which MRSA is able to persist despite treatment with multiple beta-lactam antibiotics.
Why is MRSA a problem?
In the community (where you live, work, shop, and go to school), MRSA most often causes skin infections. In some cases, it causes pneumonia (lung infection) and other infections. If left untreated, MRSA infections can become severe and cause sepsis—the body's extreme response to an infection.
Can you get a tattoo if you have MRSA?
In the United States, CA-MRSA infections have been reported repeatedly in connection with tattooing [1]. A CA-MRSA carrier would therefore have to be advised against getting a tattoo.
How do hospitals eliminate MRSA?
Yes, there are antibiotics that can kill MRSA germs. Some patients with MRSA abscesses may need surgery to drain the infection. Your healthcare provider will determine which treatments are best for you.
Is MRSA a big deal?
MRSA can cause serious infections that can become life-threatening if left untreated. If you or someone in your family has been diagnosed with MRSA, there are steps you should take to avoid spreading it to your family and friends. Follow the recommendations and practice good hygiene to take care of yourself.
What are hospitals doing to fight MRSA?
Yes. A few antibiotics can still successfully cure MRSA infections. MRSA Colonisation is usually treated with topical antibiotics such as nasal cream and antibacterial soap when in hospital. This is to remove or reduce the number of bacteria on the skin in order to reduce the risk of infection.
Why is it important to understand the magnitude of the excess costs of resistant infections?
Understanding the magnitude of, and trends in, the excess costs of resistant infections is necessary for the development of rational responses to the growing public health crisis of antibiotic resistance. Although studies have examined cost differences between MRSA and MSSA infections at the hospital level, there is a lack of information on cost differences at the national level in the United States.
Is MRSA a higher cost than MSSA?
Although methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections have historically been associated with higher hospitalization costs, in recent years costs associated with methicillin-susceptible S aureus (MSSA)-related infections have been trending higher than costs associated with similar MRSA-related hospitalizations, according to a study recently published in Clinical Infectious Diseases .
Is MRSA worse than MSSA?
Traditionally, MRSA infections have been associated with worse patient outcomes and higher costs of care than MSSA infections. However, since those studies are a decade old, this trend may have been altered in recent years by changes in the insurance landscape and development of new diagnostics.
