U.S. Healthcare Costs of Six Resistant Pathogens

Unique study to estimate attributable cost of high-priority pathogens

$4.6 Billion: The Direct Healthcare Cost of Six Types of Antibiotic-resistant Infections

A new paper from CDC, in partnership with the University of Utah, estimates that the national healthcare costs associated with infections from six multidrug-resistant pathogens can be substantial at more than $4.6 billion annually.   This is one of the largest studies to estimate the cost associated with high-priority antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Issues highlighted in the study align with data and threats in CDC’s 2019 Antibiotic Resistance (AR) Threats Report. This includes the impact of resistant infections in the community, which can put more people at risk, make spread more difficult to identify and contain, and threaten the progress made to protect patients in healthcare.   The six pathogens are frequently found in health care and were listed in the 2019 AR Threats Report as causing nearly 622,400 total infections in 2017:   Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter species Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) Extended-spectrum cephalosporin resistance in Enterobacterales suggestive of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa  Of the six pathogens, MRSA and ESBL contribute the most to total costs nationally due to their high burden despite having lower healthcare costs per case. The paper was published in Clinical Infectious Diseases in early 2021.

More than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the United States each year, and more than 35,000 people die as a result. Dedicated prevention and infection control efforts in the United States have reduced the number of resistant infections and deaths, but the threat of antibiotic resistance is still too high.  CDC funds studies like these to help protect as many people as possible. Treating patients with multidrug-resistant infections often requires substantial healthcare resources. Cost estimates can help the U.S. Government, healthcare facilities, and other organizations better understand the investments needed in hospitals to fund activities to prevent antibiotic resistance, healthcare costs associated with antibiotic-resistant infections, and the economic benefits of prevention.

	Nearly 622,400 infections caused by 6 antibiotic-resistant pathogens cost more than $4.6 billion each year https://bit.ly/386et7q #AntibioticResistance

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