Costs for carbapenem-resistant versus carbapenem-sensitive acinetobacter baumannii infections

The emergence and spread of Gram-negative bacteria namely Acinetobacter baumannii, is a serious public health challenge worldwide due to antibiotics resistance. Infections caused by this bacterium demonstrated significantly high economic burden. Nevertheless, economic burden of carbapenem resistant-Acinetobacter baumannii (CR-AB) and carbapenem susceptible -Acinetobacter baumannii (CS-AB) infections in Indonesia remain unknown. The aim of the study was to evaluate the cost of hospitalized patients associated with CR-AB and CS-AB infections. Methods: In a retrospective observational case control study, we evaluated the medical records of patients with CR-AB and CS-AB infections hospitalized in the Dr. Soetomo Hospital Surabaya, Indonesia between 2018-2021. Also, we retrieved the data of sex, clinical specimen, dates of admission and discharge. The study outcome was hospital costs such as antibiotic and diagnostic costs including radiology and lab investigations charges from the payer perspective. Results: The antibiotic and diagnostic costs for CR-AB infection was higher than CS-AB infection, US$ 1039.3 versus US$ 492.2 (p < 0.001). It showed that the CR-AB antibiotic cost was higher than CS-AB, US$ 77.2 versus US$ 19.7 (p < 0.001), and the CR-AB diagnostic cost was higher than CS-AB, US$ 882.1 versus US$ 463.1 (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The economic burden for hospitalized patients with CR-AB infection was higher compared to the hospital cost for CS-AB infections.