Burden of Hospitalization for Coccidioidal Meningitis: An Analysis of the National Inpatient Sample, 2019–2021

Coccidioidal meningitis (CM) requires lifelong aggressive management, often necessitating hospitalization. In the National Inpatient Sample (2019-2021), CM hospitalizations (N = 2305) were associated with frequent CM-related procedures (63.6% [95% confidence interval {CI}, 59.3%-67.6%]), long stays (mean, 13.0 days [95% CI, 11.3-14.6 days]), substantial costs per stay (mean, $48 155 [95% CI, $42 382-$53 929]), and a 7.6% (95% CI, 5.6%-10.3%) mortality incidence. CM inflicts a substantial burden on hospital resources.