Aims:

To estimate the excess direct care costs attributable to ventilator-associated pneumonia in an intensive care unit adult in the city of Cartagena during the years 2009 to 2014.

Material and method:

A study of partial economic evaluation focused on the analysis of direct care costs contrasting the scenarios of mechanical ventilator associated pneumonia versus scenarios without mechanical ventilator associated pneumonia. The study population is 23 patients with ventilator associated pneumonia. Similarly, 46 control were taken. The information for direct costs was obtained through the cost department of the hospital institution. The ratio of costs for establishing the excess cost attributable to ventilator associated pneumonia was estimated.

Results:

The average stay in cases was 47 days, while in controls was 9 days. The average cost of a case of ventilator associated pneumonia was US$ 44354 While the control was US$ 5037.

Discussion:

Excess average total cost incurred as well as antibiotics and stay out to be much higher than those found in other studies.

Conclusions:

A case of ventilator associated pneumonia costs 10 times more with regard to medicaments and 8 times more in relation to testing laboratories and supplies. The stay is 6.6 times more expensive than in controls without mechanical ventilation. The cost which is assumed in antibiotics is 7.8 times higher. Cases of ventilator associated pneumonia cost on average 8.8 times more that controls.

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