OBJECTIVE To investigate the incidence of hospital-associated infections among the neurosurgery department patients undergoing brain tumor resection and analyze the economic cost so as to provide scientific bases for formulating prevention strategies.

METHODS Totally 1027 patients who underwent brain tumor resection in neurosurgery department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University from Jan. 1, 2020 to Dec. 31, 2024 were recruited as the research subjects. The 36 patients who had postoperative hospital-associated infections were assigned as the infection group, and 991 patients who did not have hospital-associated infection were assigned as the no infection group. The patients of the infection group and the non-infection group were matched in a 1∶1 ratio by using propensity score matching method (caliper value 0.005). The length of hospital stay and costs of medical items were compared between the infection group and the non-infection group, and the economic burden due to the hospital-associated infections was estimated.

RESULTS The incidence of hospital-associated infections was 3.51% among the patients undergoing brain tumor resection, and totally 36 pairs were matched successfully with the propensity score. The hospitalization cost of the infection group was 109, 103.81 (73, 370.21, 163, 628.37) yuan after the matching, which was increased by 50, 087.69 yuan as compared with the non-infection group (Z=-5.237, P < 0.001); the length of hospital stay was 23.00 (17.25, 36.00) days, which was prolonged by 8.50 days (Z=-3.764, P < 0.001). Among the costs of medical items, the medial costs of western medicine, treatment materials and clinical laboratory tests increased most.

CONCLUSIONS The control of the costs of western medicine, treatment materials and clinical laboratory tests is the key to reduce the costs of brain tumor resection patients with hospital-associated infections. It is necessary to carry out the real-time monitoring of the hospital-associated infections and early warning of suspected cases and reduce the incidence of hospital-associated infections so as to reduce the economic costs.