Association Between the Vulnerability to Hospital-Acquired Infection and Health Care Utilization: Evidence From the National Inpatient Sample From 2016 to 2020

Various sociodemographic and hospital factors were associated with greater vulnerability to HAIs, higher in-hospital mortality, longer hospitalizations, and greater health care costs. These findings emphasize the heterogeneity in vulnerability to HAIs across sociodemographic and hospital contexts and highlight the potential value of risk stratification in informing patient safety efforts.