ObjectiveTo analyze the extra hospitalization expense and length of hospital stay due to healthcareassociated infection(HAI) in patients undergoing clean neurosurgical operation, and evaluate the economic loss caused by HAI.MethodsClinical data of patients who underwent clean operation in a neurosurgical department from January 2014 to December 2016 were collected, according to age frequencymatched case control method, 151 patients with single site HAI was as case group, 151 patients without HAI were randomly selected from the same age group and as a control group, hospitalization expense and length of hospital stay were compared between two groups of patients, economic loss caused by HAI was calculated.ResultsA total of 801 patients underwent clean neurosurgical operation, 194 patients had 245 cases of HAI, HAI rate and HAI case rate were 24.22% and 30.59% respectively，151 (18.85%) cases were single site HAI. Among patients with single site infection, hospitalization expense in patients with respiratory system infection was the highest, length of hospitalization in patients with urinary tract infection was the longest. The median of total hospitalization expense in case group and control group were 110 181 and 60 398 yuan respectively, difference was statistically significant（P＜0.05）；the median length of hospital stay in two groups were 30 days and 18 days respectively, difference was statistically significant (P<0.05); the average economic loss due to HAI was 52 661.64 yuan.ConclusionThere is huge economic loss due to HAI in patients undergoing clean neurosurgical operation, prevention and control of HAI is very important for reducing the economic loss caused by HAI.