Antibiotic-resistant infection treatment costs have doubled since 2002, now exceeding $2 billion annually.
Infections with antibiotic-resistant organisms are increasingly common in hospitals and ambulatory care, primarily driven by overuse of antibiotics for treatment of nonbacterial illnesses. This economic analysis found that antibiotic-resistant infections have doubled in incidence since 2002, and they add approximately $1,400 to the cost of care for each patient with an antibiotic-resistant infection. The study was performed using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, which is conducted by AHRQ. This survey does not include data on institutionalized adults, such as residents of long-term care facilities. Since antibiotic-resistant infections are common in these patients, this study may actually underestimate the total economic burden of these infections. The devastating effects of an antibiotic-resistant infection for a health care practitioner were vividly illustrated in a PSNet perspective.