Nearly a third of Americans who die are in the hospital at the
time and their last treatments cost the US economy $27 billion,
according to a report released.
The single biggest cause of hospital death was septicemia, an
overwhelming infection of the blood, which killed 15% of patients,
the team at the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
found.
Eight percent died of respiratory failure, six percent died of
stroke and five percent had fatal heart attacks in the hospital,
according to the report.
"In 2007, it is estimated by the Centers for Disease Control that
2,423,995 people died in the United States. Of these, we estimate
that 765,651 died in the hospital," the agency's Yafu Zhao and
William Encinosa wrote.
"That is, 32% of all deaths in the US in 2007 occurred in the
hospital."
Their analysis, using federal survey data, found that the average
cost of a hospital stay that ended with the patient's death was
$US26,035, compared to $US9,447 for patients discharged
alive.
Patients covered by Medicare, the federal health insurance plan for
the elderly and disabled, accounted for 67% of in-hospital deaths
and $16 billion in hospital costs.
Private insurance covered 20% of patients who died at a cost of
$5.5 billion.
Medicaid patients made up two percent and uninsured patients
accounted for three percent and $875 million in costs.
"Overall, the costs of hospitalizations ending in death were $27
billion, which accounted for 5.2% of total in-patient hospital
costs in the US in 2007," they wrote.
Zhao and Encinosa used their survey data, which covered 90% of US
hospitals, along with CDC data to calculate that 74% of infants who
die are being treated in the hospital at the time.
"Among the elderly, 31% of deaths occurred in the hospital, while
34% of non-elderly deaths took place in the hospital," they
said.
