Background: The objective of this study was to determine epidemiological rates of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) in the Polish ICU and direct costs associated with excess length of stay incurred by the hospital.
Material and methods: The studied data concern patients hospitalized in the years 2010–2012 in a 9-bed ICU of a multi-profile hospital in the Małopolskie Province. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention diagnostic criteria were the basis for the development of definitions of infections.
Results: HAP developed in 34 patients, of which 94.1% were cases associated with the use of mechanical ventilation. Cumulative incidence of HAP was 5.74%, and incidence density amounted to 3.00‰. Median length of stay of patients with HAP amounted to 36 days and this value was more than twenty percent higher than in the case of other forms of infection (27 days), and almost three times higher than in patients without infections (14 days). Annually, costs associated with the excess hospitalization of patients with this form of infection should be evaluated at over PLN 300,000 (72.290€) per hospital; average per patient is PLN 29,106 (7013€).
Conclusions: HAP is one of the most common hospital-acquired infections in intensive care units. It is connected with the greatest additional costs for hospital comparing to other forms of HAIs. For patients, the occurrence of HAP in ICU patients involves the highest risk of death. Detailed, targeted studies concerning financial burden of HAI in Poland should be performed.