RT Book, Section A1 Carson, Shannon S. A2 Tobin, Martin J. SR Print(0) ID 57082241 T1 Chapter 67. Economics of Ventilator Care T2 Principles and Practice of Mechanical Ventilation, 3e YR 2013 FD 2013 PB The McGraw-Hill Companies PP New York, NY SN 978-0-07-173626-8 LK accessanesthesiology.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=57082241 RD 2024/03/28 AB One of the most urgent targets for improved efficiencies in inpatient hospital care is critical care services. Between 2000 and 2005, critical care medicine beds increased in the United States by 6.5% (from 88,252 to 93,955), and occupancy rates increased by 4.5%.1 In that period, critical care costs per day increased by 30.4% (from $2698 to $3518). In 2005, critical care medicine accounted for 13.4% of hospital costs in the United States and consumed 0.66% of gross domestic product. Patients requiring mechanical ventilation are among the largest consumers of critical care resources, and hospitals often experience financial losses in providing care for them. As many as 2.8% of hospitalized patients in the United States received mechanical ventilation in 2005, representing 2.7 episodes of mechanical ventilation per 1000 population.2 Estimated national costs were $27 billion. This chapter reviews the economic implications of mechanical ventilation. Basic principles of health economics are reviewed to provide a framework for interpreting health economic analyses related to mechanical ventilation. Actual costs of mechanical ventilation are addressed, followed by a discussion of whether mechanical ventilation is cost-effective. Finally, strategies for cost containment are reviewed.