Cost-analysis of universal decolonization with pure hypochlorous acid and mupirocin to reduce MRSA infections in intensive care burn unit patients.

Introduction: Burn patients are at high risk for infections, particularly Methicillin-resistant Methods: A patient-level microsimulation model was developed to perform a cost analysis from the US health system perspective. Clinical inputs were derived from a retrospective observational study. The primary outcome was the reduction in MRSA infections per 1,000 bed days. Cost estimates, expressed in 2023 US dollars, were gathered through a pragmatic literature review of publicly available sources. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the robustness of the findings. Results: Before the introduction of pHA, burn patients were 3.05 times more likely to develop MRSA infections. The estimated cost of treating MRSA infections was $224,376 per 1,000 bed days in the pre-pHA period, compared to $148,812 in the post-pHA period. After including the cost of pHA, the net savings amounted to $75,564 per 1,000 bed days, or $75.56 per bed day. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these results across a range of input values. Conclusion: The combination of pHA and mupirocin appears to be a cost-saving strategy for reducing MRSA infections among hospitalized burn patients.