Health Care

Pneumonia Cost to Hospitals Hit $10 Billion in 2006

July 8, 2008

More than 1.2 million Americans were hospitalized for pneumonia in 2006, making this lung infection the most common reason for admission to the hospital other than childbirth, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The cost of treating pneumonia for hospitals was $10 billion in 2006. The disease, which can be especially deadly among the elderly, occurs when the lungs fill with fluid from infection or inflammation caused by bacteria or a virus.

The following are from AHRQ's new analysis of 2006 hospitalizations, estimated admissions, and hospitals' costs for common conditions:

  • Hardening of the arteries: 1,198,000/$17 billion
  • Congestive heart failure: 1,099,000/$11 billion
  • Chest pain: 857,000/$4 billion
  • Injuries to the mother during birth: 818,000/$2 billion
  • Other complications of labor and delivery: 767,000/$3 billion
  • Heart rhythm problems: 749,000/$7 billion
  • Osteoarthritis: 735,000/$10 billion
  • Heart attack: 675,000/$12 billion

For more information, visit HCUPnet.



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