Excess length of stay, charges, and mortality attributable to medical injuries during hospitalization.
Using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Patient Safety Indicators, this study identified medial injuries from more than 7.4 million hospital discharge abstracts. Investigators determined significant variability in both the need for extended hospitalization and the associated costs depending on the specific injury experienced. Building on past work reflecting data from individual institutions (Classen et al and Bates et al), the authors here share specific estimates for excess length of stay, charges, and mortality due to 18 specific types of medical injuries analyzed in nearly 1000 hospitals across the country. For example, infection due to medical care resulted in more than 9.5 extra hospital days, nearly $40,000 in excess charges, and 4.3% attributable mortality.