Burden of Clostridium difficile infection: Associated hospitalization in a cohort of middle-aged and older adults

Defining the phylogenetics and resistome of the major Clostridioides difficile ribotypes circulating in Australia

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) remains a significant public health threat globally. New interventions to treat CDI rely on an understanding of the evolution and epidemiology of circulating strains. Here we provide longitudinal genomic data on strain diversity, transmission dynamics and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of C. difficile ribotypes (RTs) 014/020 (n=169), 002 (n=77) and 056 (n=36), the three most prominent C. difficile strains causing CDI in Australia. Genome scrutiny showed that AMR was uncommon in these lineages, with resistance-conferring alleles present in only 15/169 RT014/020 strains (8.9 %), 1/36 RT056 strains (2.78 %) and none of 77 RT002 strains. Notably, ~90 % of strains were resistant to MLSB agents in vitro, but only ~5.9 % harboured known resistance alleles, highlighting an incongruence between AMR genotype and phenotype. Core genome analyses revealed all three RTs contained genetically heterogeneous strain populations with limited evidence of clonal transmission between CDI cases. The average number of pairwise core genome SNP (cgSNP) differences within each RT group ranged from 23.3 (RT056, ST34, n=36) to 115.6 (RT002, ST8, n=77) and 315.9 (RT014/020, STs 2, 13, 14, 49, n=169). Just 19 clonal groups (encompassing 40 isolates), defined as isolates differing by ≤2 cgSNPs, were identified across all three RTs (RT014/020, n=14; RT002, n=3; RT056, n=2). Of these clonal groups, 63 % (12/19) comprised isolates from the same Australian State and 37 % (7/19) comprised isolates from different States. The low number of plausible transmission events found for these major RTs (and previously documented populations in animal and environmental sources/reservoirs) points to widespread and persistent community sources of diverse C. difficile strains as opposed to ongoing nationwide healthcare outbreaks dominated by a single clone. Together, these data provide new insights into the evolution of major lineages causing CDI in Australia and highlight the urgent need for enhanced surveillance, and for public health interventions to move beyond the healthcare setting and into a One Health paradigm to effectively combat this complex pathogen.

Use of Ceftriaxone and Benzylpenicillin in Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy: Spectrum vs Cost

Background

The application of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) principles may entail increased cost to allow for narrower-spectrum therapy. Prescribing benzylpenicillin (BP) and ceftriaxone (CRO) for outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) demonstrates the complex challenge of this principle. The aim of this study is to analyze the use of BP and CRO in our OPAT program, including indications and relative cost.

Methods

We analyzed all adult patients in our OPAT program who received intravenous BP or CRO over 1 year. We identified a "crossover group" of patients who could have received either agent. Economic comparison was based on acquisition cost of the therapy (drug, infuser, and preparation costs).

Results

Of 105 eligible patients, 54 (51%) and 51 (49%) received BP and CRO, respectively. Forty (38%) patients were suitable for either agent; of these, the majority (n = 31, 78%) were treated with BP. Economic analysis demonstrated that the average daily cost of BP therapy was $93.76/d (AUD) vs $1.23/d for CRO. Thus, across our OPAT programs, we had an additional average cost of $92.53/patient/d to use BP instead of CRO. Program-wide the annual additional cost of using BP and thus applying this AMS strategy was $68 386.12.

Conclusions

BP is often selected over CRO by clinicians, where possible, as recommended by the Australian guidelines; however, BP is associated with higher daily acquisition costs. More broadly, a number of narrower-spectrum agents may involve significantly higher costs than comparators; as such, the $92.53/d to prevent CRO exposure can be considered when applying other antimicrobial-substitution AMS interventions in an acute health care setting.

Spore-Forming Clostridium (Clostridioides) difficile in Wastewater Treatment Plants in Western Australia

There is growing evidence that shows Clostridium (Clostridioides) difficile is a pathogen of One Health importance with a complex dissemination pathway involving animals, humans, and the environment. Thus, environmental discharge and agricultural recycling of human and animal waste have been suspected as factors behind the dissemination of Clostridium difficile in the community. Here, the presence of C. difficile in 12 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Western Australia was investigated. Overall, C. difficile was found in 90.5% (114/126) of raw sewage influent, 48.1% (50/104) of treated effluent, 40% (2/5) of reclaimed irrigation water, 100% (38/38) of untreated biosolids, 95.2% (20/21) of anaerobically digested biosolids, and 72.7% (8/11) of lime-amended biosolids. Over half of the isolates (55.3% [157/284]) were toxigenic, and 97 C. difficile ribotypes (RTs) were identified, with RT014/020 the most common (14.8% [42/284]). Thirteen C. difficile isolates with the toxin gene profile A⁺ B⁺ CDT⁺ (positive for genes coding for toxins A and B and the binary C. difficile transferase toxin [CDT]) were found, including the hypervirulent RT078 strain. Resistance to the antimicrobials fidaxomicin, vancomycin, metronidazole, rifaximin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, meropenem, and moxifloxacin was uncommon; however, resistance to clindamycin, erythromycin, and tetracycline was relatively frequent at 56.7% (161/284), 14.4% (41/284), and 13.7% (39/284), respectively. This study revealed that toxigenic C. difficile was commonly encountered in WWTPs and being released into the environment. This raises concern about the possible spillover of C. difficile into animal and/or human populations via land receiving the treated waste. In Western Australia, stringent measures are in place to mitigate the health and environmental risk of recycling human waste; however, further studies are needed to elucidate the public health significance of C. difficile surviving the treatment processes at WWTPs. IMPORTANCE Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a leading cause of antimicrobial-associated diarrhea in health care facilities. Extended hospital stays and recurrences increase the cost of treatment and morbidity and mortality. Community-associated CDI (CA-CDI) cases, with no history of antimicrobial use or exposure to health care settings, are increasing. The isolation of clinically important C. difficile strains from animals, rivers, soil, meat, vegetables, compost, treated wastewater, and biosolids has been reported. The objective of this study was to characterize C. difficile in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Australia. We found that C. difficile can survive the treatment processes of WWTPs, and toxigenic C. difficile was being released into the environment, becoming a potential source/reservoir for CA-CDI.

Whole-genome sequencing links Clostridium (Clostridioides) difficile in a single hospital to diverse environmental sources in the community

AIMS

To investigate if Clostridium (Clostridioides) difficile infection (CDI), traditionally thought of as hospital-acquired, can be genomically linked to hospital or community environmental sources, and to define possible importation routes from the community to the hospital.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In 2019, C. difficile was isolated from 89/300 (29.7%) floor and 96/300 (32.0%) shoe sole samples at a tertiary hospital in Western Australia. Non-toxigenic C. difficile ribotype (RT) 010 predominated among floor (96.6%) and shoe sole (73.2%) isolates, while toxigenic RT 014/020 was most prevalent among contemporaneous clinical cases (33.0%) at the hospital. Whole-genome sequencing and high-resolution core genome single nucleotide polymorphism (cgSNP) analysis on C. difficile strains from hospital and community sources showed no clinical C. difficile RT 014/020 strains were genetically related, and evidence of frequent long-distance, multi-directional spread between humans, animals and the environment. In addition, cgSNP analysis of environmental RT 010 strains suggested transportation of C. difficile via shoe soles.

CONCLUSIONS

While C. difficile RT 014/020 appears to spread via routes outside the healthcare system, RT 010 displayed a pattern of possible importation from the community into the hospital.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY

These findings suggest developing community-based infection prevention and control strategies could significantly lower rates of CDI in the hospital setting.

Antimicrobial resistance surveillance of Clostridioides difficile in Australia, 2015-18

BACKGROUND

Clostridioides difficile was listed as an urgent antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threat in a report by the CDC in 2019. AMR drives the evolution of C. difficile and facilitates its emergence and spread. The C. difficile Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance (CDARS) study is nationwide longitudinal surveillance of C. difficile infection (CDI) in Australia.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of C. difficile isolated in Australia between 2015 and 2018.

METHODS

A total of 1091 strains of C. difficile were collected over a 3 year period by a network of 10 diagnostic microbiology laboratories in five Australian states. These strains were tested for their susceptibility to nine antimicrobials using the CLSI agar incorporation method.

RESULTS

All strains were susceptible to metronidazole, fidaxomicin, rifaximin and amoxicillin/clavulanate and low numbers of resistant strains were observed for meropenem (0.1%; 1/1091), moxifloxacin (3.5%; 38/1091) and vancomycin (5.7%; 62/1091). Resistance to clindamycin was common (85.2%; 929/1091), followed by resistance to ceftriaxone (18.8%; 205/1091). The in vitro activity of fidaxomicin [geometric mean MIC (GM) = 0.101 mg/L] was superior to that of vancomycin (1.700 mg/L) and metronidazole (0.229 mg/L). The prevalence of MDR C. difficile, as defined by resistance to ≥3 antimicrobial classes, was low (1.7%; 19/1091).

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of C. difficile isolated in Australia did not show reduced susceptibility to antimicrobials recommended for treatment of CDI (vancomycin, metronidazole and fidaxomicin). Resistance to carbapenems and fluoroquinolones was low and MDR was uncommon; however, clindamycin resistance was frequent. One fluoroquinolone-resistant ribotype 027 strain was detected.

In vivo efficacy of auranofin in a hamster model of Clostridioides difficile infection

Clostridioides difficile infections (CDIs) are an urgent public health threat worldwide and are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in healthcare settings. The increasing incidence and severity of infections combined with the scarcity of effective anti-CDI agents has made treatment of CDI very challenging. Therefore, development of new, effective anticlostridial agents remains a high priority. The current study investigated the in vivo efficacy of auranofin in a CDI hamster model. All hamsters treated with auranofin (5 mg/kg) survived a lethal challenge with C. difficile. Furthermore, auranofin (5 mg/kg) was as effective as vancomycin, the drug of choice for treatment of CDIs, against relapsing CDI. Furthermore, auranofin (5 mg/kg) generated a 3.15-log₁₀ reduction (99.97%) in C. difficile count in the cecal contents of hamsters. These results indicate that auranofin warrants further investigation as a new agent to replenish the pipeline of anti-CDI therapeutics.

The Economic Burden of Clostridioides difficile in Denmark: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Objectives: The aim of this study was to make a comprehensive economic assessment of the costs of hospital-acquired C. difficile infections (CDI).

Methods: We carried out a retrospective matched cohort study utilizing Danish registry data with national coverage to identify CDI cases and matched reference patients without CDI (controls) for economic burden assessment in Denmark covering 2011–2014. Health care costs and public transfer costs were obtained from national registries, and calculated for 1 year prior to, and 2 years after index admission using descriptive statistics and regression analysis.

Results: The study included 12,768 CDI patients and 23,272 matched controls. The total health care cost was significantly larger for CDI cases than controls throughout all periods. During the index admission period, cost was €12,867 per CDI case compared to €4,522 (p < 0.001) for controls, which increased to an average of €31,388 and €19,512 (p < 0.001) in Year 1 for the two groups, respectively. Excess costs were found both among infections with onset in hospitals and in the community. Diagnosis compatible with complications increased costs to on average >€91,000 per case. The regression analysis showed that CDI adds a substantial economic burden, but only explains about 1/3 of the crude difference observed in the matched analysis.

Discussion: The major economic impact of hospital-acquired CDI with complications underlines the importance of preventing complications in these patients. Our study provides an informed estimate of the potential economic gain per patient by successful intervention, which is likely to be relatively comparable across countries.

Clinical significance of a positive Clostridioides difficile glutamate dehydrogenase test on the outcomes of hospitalized older patients

AIM

Clostridioides difficile infection worsens the outcome of older hospitalized patients; thus, its diagnosis is necessary for the nosocomial infection control. The standard diagnostic test's limited sensitivity for Clostridioides difficile infection, an enzyme immunoassay for Clostridioides difficile toxins, is of clinical concern. Glutamate dehydrogenase detection is usually tested combined with Clostridioides difficile toxins. However, the clinical significance of a positive glutamate dehydrogenase result is unclear. We evaluated the association between positive glutamate dehydrogenase results, in-hospital mortality and hospital stay length among older patients with suspected Clostridioides difficile infection.

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, we examined the data of patients who received antibiotics (except for Clostridioides difficile infection treatment) after admission and tested for Clostridioides difficile infection using an enzyme immunoassay for Clostridioides difficile toxins and glutamate dehydrogenase in a secondary care hospital located in a rural region with high aging rate, between 2015 and 2018.

RESULTS

In total, 188 patients were included (83.5% of them aged >75 years). Glutamate dehydrogenase positivity was independently associated with in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio 2.19, 95% confidence interval 1.14-4.21) and hospital stay length (regression coefficient 16.0, 95% confidence interval 5.15-26.9). Clostridioides difficile toxin positivity was independently associated with hospital stay duration (regression coefficient 14.5, 95% confidence interval 0.04-29.1), unlike in-hospital mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Glutamate dehydrogenase was closely related to in-hospital mortality and prolonged hospitalization compared with Clostridioides difficile toxin. Clinicians should not neglect glutamate dehydrogenase-positive patients, even when they are Clostridioides difficile toxin-negative, and consider them as having poor prognostic potential. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20: 1138-1144.

Antimicrobial Susceptibilities of Clostridium difficile Isolates from 12 Asia-Pacific Countries in 2014 and 2015

Clostridium (Clostridioides) difficile causes toxin-mediated diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis, primarily among hospital inpatients. Outbreaks of C. difficile infection (CDI) have been caused by strains with acquired antimicrobial resistance, particularly fluoroquinolone resistance, including C. difficile ribotype (RT) 027 in North America and Europe and RT 017, the most common strain in Asia. Despite being the most common cause of hospital-acquired infection in high-income countries, and frequent misuse of antimicrobials in Asia, little is known about CDI in the Asia-Pacific region. We aimed to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of a collection of C. difficile isolates from the region. C. difficile isolates (n = 414) from a 2014 study of 13 Asia-Pacific countries were tested for susceptibility to moxifloxacin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, erythromycin, clindamycin, rifaximin, metronidazole, vancomycin, and fidaxomicin according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute's agar dilution method. All isolates were susceptible to metronidazole, vancomycin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, and fidaxomicin. Moxifloxacin resistance was detected in all countries except Australia, all RT 369 and QX 239 strains, and 92.7% of RT 018 and 70.6% of RT 017 strains. All C. difficile RT 012, 369, and QX 239 strains were also resistant to erythromycin and clindamycin. Rifaximin resistance was common in RT 017 strains only (63.2%) and was not detected in Australian, Japanese, or Singaporean isolates. In conclusion, antimicrobial susceptibility of C. difficile varied by strain type and by country. Multiresistance was common in emerging RTs 369 and QX 239 and the most common strain in Asia, RT 017. Ongoing surveillance is clearly warranted.

Clostridioides difficile infection after pneumonia in older patients: Which antibiotic is at lower risk?

BACKGROUND

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a frequent and severe complication of antibiotic treatment in older patients hospitalized for acute pneumonia (AP).

AIMS

We aimed to assess the burden and risk factors of CDI and to determine which of the usual antibiotics regimens is at lower risk for post-AP CDI incidence.

METHODS

Among patients aged >75y hospitalized for AP in all departments of a university hospital between 2007 and 2017, all the 92 patients developing a CDI were compared with 213 patients without CDI. Factors associated with 1) in-hospital and one-year mortality, 2) CDI incidence were assessed using logistic regression models.

FINDINGS

In patients with and without CDI after AP, mortality rates were respectively at 34% vs 20% in hospital and 63% vs 42% at one-year. After adjustment for confounders, CDI was associated with a two-fold risk of in-hospital and one-year mortality after pneumonia (Respective Odds Ratio (95% Confidence Interval), OR (95%CI): 1.95 (1.06-3.58) and 2.02 (1.43-7.31)). High number of antibiotics (Per antibiotic, OR (95%CI): 1.89 (1.18-3.06)), rather than antibiotics duration (Per day, OR 95%CI): 1.04 (0.96-1.11)) was associated with a higher risk of CDI. Compared with other antibiotics, use of penicillin + beta-lactamase inhibitors was associated with a lower risk of CDI (OR (95%CI): 0.43 (0.19 -0.99)) CONCLUSION: In older inpatients, CDI highly increase the burden of AP at both short and long term. If confirmed, these results suggest the preferential use of penicillin + beta-lactamase inhibitors for a lower incidence of CDI in older inpatients with AP.

Change in the Mortality Trend of Hospitalized Patients with Clostridium difficile Infection: A Nation-wide Study

Background According to the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), mortality in Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has been rising since 2009, and an upward trend in mortality has been noted. Although there have been studies exploring the incidence of CDI and mortality in the national database, those studies were limited to one particular year. With the advent of newer modalities of diagnosis and treatment for CDI, the recent multiyear trend in disease-specific outcomes from large administrative databases is unknown. Objective To study the recent trend in nationwide hospital admissions and mortality along with hospital outcomes. Methods We queried the identified National Inpatient Sample from 2007 to 2011 to identify patients of age >18 years, with a discharge diagnosis of CDI identified by the International Classification of Diseases, 9th edition (ICD-9), clinical modification codes 008.45, respectively. Results We identified a decline in CDI mortality to 2.67% in 2011 as compared to 3.83% in 2007 (P<0.0001) with CDI as the primary discharge diagnosis and a downward trend in all-cause mortality from 9.2% in 2007 to 7.9% in 2011 (P<0.0001). We identified an upward trend in CDI-related hospital discharges from 2007 (N=325,022) to 2011 (N=333498). Hospital discharges with CDI as a primary discharge diagnosis also increased from 2007 (N=104,123) to 2011 (123,898). The mean length of stay decreased from 7.16 days in 2007 to 6.40 days in 2011 (P 0.0001). CDI was noted to be more common in the elderly (61-80), with a mean age of 68 years. Patients were of Caucasian descent (67%), female (64%), and primarily a Medicare payer (69%). Mean hospital charges increased from $31,551 to 35,654$ (P .04). Of interest, CDI was noted to be more common in large bed-sized non-teaching hospitals (57%) than large bed-sized teaching hospitals (42%). In terms of the geographical distribution of CDI, the southern states of the US had an increased incidence of CDI (36%) and the west coast (16%) had the least incidence. Conclusion  Our study shows an improved trend in-hospital mortality outcomes and a decreased length of stay likely related to the advancement in CDI treatments. Hospital charges were increased from 2007 to 2011 in spite of a decrease in hospital length of stay.

An evaluation of buffered peracetic acid as an alternative to chlorine and hydrogen peroxide based disinfectants

This short report documents an in-use evaluation of three disinfectant solutions that was conducted within the operating theatre of a South Australian hospital to address a high occurrence of Clostridium difficile Infection (CDI). The disinfectants were all registered by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and included a buffered peracetic acid, a chlorine-based disinfectant used at 1000 ppm, and a hydrogen peroxide-based disinfectant. The use of the chlorine and hydrogen peroxide disinfectants both caused a number of adverse staff reactions and increased safe-work related incident reporting. The peracetic acid-based product met all criteria for use, including staff acceptance, cleaning expectation, cost and efficacy requirements.

Consensus on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Clostridium difficile infection

In recent decades, Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has become a worldwide health problem. Mexico is no exception, and therefore the Asociación Mexicana de Gastroenterología brought together a multidisciplinary group (gastroenterologists, endoscopists, internists, infectious disease specialists, and microbiologists) to carry out the "Consensus on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Clostridium difficile infection", establishing useful recommendations (in relation to the adult population) for the medical community. Said recommendations are presented herein. Among them, it was recognized that CDI should be suspected in subjects with diarrhea that have a history of antibiotic and/or immunosuppressant use, but that it can also be a community-acquired infection. A 2-step diagnostic algorithm was proposed, in which a highly sensitive test, such as glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), is first utilized, and if positive, confirmed by the detection of toxins through immunoassay or nucleic acid detection tests. Another recommendation was that CDI based on clinical evaluation be categorized as mild-moderate, severe, and complicated severe, given that such a classification enables better therapeutic decisions to be made. In mild-moderate CDI, oral vancomycin is the medication of choice, and metronidazole is recommended as an alternative treatment. In addition, fecal microbiota transplantation was recognized as an efficacious option in patients with recurrence or in the more severe cases of infection, and surgery should be reserved for patients with severe colitis (toxic megacolon), in whom all medical treatment has failed.

Among inpatients, ischemic bowel disease predisposes to Clostridium difficile infection with concomitant higher mortality and worse outcomes

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Clinical conditions resulting in hypoxia, hypoperfusion, anaerobic milieu within the gut, and intestinal epithelial breakdown, such as seen in heart failure, precipitates Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). Given that ischemic bowel disease (IB) typically results in similar changes within the gut, we investigated the relationship between CDI and IB, and the impact of CDI on the clinical outcomes of IB.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We initially performed a cross-sectional analysis on the 2014 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project - Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) patient's discharge records of ages 18 years and older, by estimating the crude and adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of CDI and IB as the outcome and predictor respectively. We then pooled data from the 2012-2014 NIS, identified, and compared mortality (and 15 other outcomes) between three groups: IB+CDI, IB-alone, and CDI-alone (Statistical Analysis System 9.4).

RESULTS

In the 2014 NIS, records with IB (n=27 609), had higher rate and odds of CDI [3.95 vs. 1.17%, aOR: 1.89 (1.77-2.02)] than records without IB (n=5 879 943). The 2012-2014 NIS contained 1105 IB+CDI, 30 960 IB-alone, and 60 758 CDI-alone groups. IB+CDI had higher mortality [aOR: 1.44 (1.11-1.86)], length of stay [9.59 (9.03-10.20) vs. 6.12 (5.99-6.26) days], cost [$93 257 (82 892-104 919) vs. $63 257 (61 029-65 567)], unfavorable discharge disposition [aOR: 2.24 (1.91-2.64)] and poorer results across most of the other outcomes than IB-alone. Comparable results were found for IB+CDI versus CDI-alone.

CONCLUSION

IB is a risk factor for CDI in hospitals. CDI is associated with higher mortality, longer length of stay, higher cost, unfavorable discharge, and many other poorer health outcomes in patients with IB.

Estimating excess length of stay due to healthcare-associated infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis of statistical methodology

BACKGROUND

Healthcare-associated infection (HCAI) affects millions of patients worldwide. HCAI is associated with increased healthcare costs, owing primarily to increased hospital length of stay (LOS) but calculating these costs is complicated due to time-dependent bias. Accurate estimation of excess LOS due to HCAI is essential to ensure that we invest in cost-effective infection prevention and control (IPC) measures.

AIM

To identify and review the main statistical methods that have been employed to estimate differential LOS between patients with, and without, HCAI; to highlight and discuss potential biases of all statistical approaches.

METHODS

A systematic review from 1997 to April 2017 was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, ProQuest and EconLit databases. Studies were quality-assessed using an adapted Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Methods were categorized as time-fixed or time-varying, with the former exhibiting time-dependent bias. Two examples of meta-analysis were used to illustrate how estimates of excess LOS differ between different studies.

FINDINGS

Ninety-two studies with estimates on excess LOS were identified. The majority of articles employed time-fixed methods (75%). Studies using time-varying methods are of higher quality according to NOS. Studies using time-fixed methods overestimate additional LOS attributable to HCAI. Undertaking meta-analysis is challenging due to a variety of study designs and reporting styles. Study differences are further magnified by heterogeneous populations, case definitions, causative organisms, and susceptibilities.

CONCLUSION

Methodologies have evolved over the last 20 years but there is still a significant body of evidence reliant upon time-fixed methods. Robust estimates are required to inform investment in cost-effective IPC interventions.

Assessing the risk and disease burden of Clostridium difficile infection among patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia at a University Hospital in Central China

Purpose

Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) remains one of the major hospital-acquired infections in China. Antibiotic treatment of HAP may lead to subsequent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). Baseline data on the occurrence of CDI among HAP patients in China are currently unavailable. This study examines the risk and disease burden of CDI among HAP hospitalized patients (HAP-CDI).

Methods

We conducted a prospective study among ICU patients with HAP and hospital-onset diarrhea from January 2014 to December 2014 in a teaching hospital in China. All stool specimens were cultured for C. difficile which were typed by MLST. We used univariate and multivariable regression analyses to identify risk factors of HAP-CDI.

Findings

In total, 369 patients who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled. Thirty-two patients tested C. difficile positive. Among the isolated C. difficile strains, 90.63% (29/32) isolates were toxinogenic. Various MLST types were identified. The incidence of HAP-CDI was 11.67/10,000 patient days (95% CI, 7.97–16.55). Nineteen patients died from complications. The attributable mortality rate was 5.15% (19/369). The mortality rate of HAP-CDI group was 13.79% which was higher than HAP-non-CDI group. Univariate analyses demonstrated that old age, receiving antibiotics (OR = 8.70) and glucocorticoids (OR = 7.71) 1 month prior to hospitalization, respiratory failure (OR = 3.28) and receiving antimicrobials during hospitalization (OR = 1.15) were the risk factors associated with CDI. Multivariate conditional logistic regression analysis demonstrated the similar results.

Conclusion

CDI was common among patients discharged from hospital for HAP at a university hospital. Prevention of the spreading of C. difficile among hospitalized patients is urgently needed.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s15010-017-1024-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.