Table 1. Direct health care costs of patients readmitted because of a postoperative surgical site infection between 2001 and 2010.
| Department | ||
| Cardio surgical | Orthopedic | |
| (n = 28) | (n = 25) | |
| Age, mean ± SD, years | 58 ± 16 | 55 ± 15 |
| Male sex (%) | 19 (68) | 13 (52) |
| Surgical interventions, no. (%) | ||
| coronary artery bypass grafting | 20 (71) | 0 |
| heart valve replacement | 3 (11) | 0 |
| total knee or hip prosthesis | 0 | 7 (28) |
| shoulder surgery | 0 | 3 (12) |
| spondylodesis | 0 | 3 (12) |
| other fracture surgery | 0 | 6 (24) |
| other | 5 (18) | 6 (24) |
| Length of hospital stay, total days (median) | 529 (17) | 1597 (48) |
| Total cost of health care, euros (mean/patient) | ||
| surgical procedures | 31,605 (1580)a | 71,695 (2987)b |
| laboratory investigations | 40,149 (1434) | 31,781 (1271) |
| radiological investigations | 9068 (363)c | 5071 (211)b |
| hospitalization days | 150,157 (5363) | 499,728 (19,989) |
| other | 3716 (133) | 17,705 (708) |
| total costs readmissiond | 234,695 (8382) | 625,980 (25,039) |
a
Missing information on 8 patients.
b
Missing information on 1 patient.
c
Missing information on 3 patients.
d
Costs of antibiotic treatment were not included.