Clinical approach to severe Clostridium difficile infection: update for the hospital practitioner

Changes in the Association between Diagnostic Testing Method, PCR Ribotype, and Clinical Outcomes from Clostridioides difficile Infection: One Institution's Experience

BACKGROUND

In patients with Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), the relationship between clinical, microbial, and temporal/epidemiological trends relate and disease severity and adverse outcomes is incompletely understood. Here, in a follow-up to our study conducted in 2010-2013, we evaluate stool toxin levels and C. difficile PCR ribotypes. We hypothesized that elevated stool toxins and infection with ribotype 027 associate with severe disease and adverse outcomes.

METHODS

In a cohort of 565 subjects at the University of Michigan with CDI diagnosed by positive testing for toxins A/B by EIA or PCR for the tcdB gene, we quantified stool toxin levels via a modified cell cytotoxicity assay, isolated C. difficile by anaerobic culture, and performed PCR ribotyping. Severe CDI was defined by IDSA criteria, and primary outcomes were all-cause 30-day mortality and a composite of colectomy, ICU admission, and/or death attributable to CDI within 30 days. Analyses included bivariable tests and adjusted logistic regression.

RESULTS

199 samples were diagnosed by EIA and 447 were diagnosed by PCR. Toxin positivity associated with IDSA severity, but not primary outcomes. In 2016, compared to 2010-2013, ribotype 106 newly emerged, accounting for 10.6% of strains, ribotype 027 fell from 16.5% to 9.3%, and ribotype 014-027 remained stable at 18.9%. Ribotype 014-020 associated with IDSA severity and 30-day mortality (P=.001).

CONCLUSION

Toxin positivity by EIA and CCA associated with IDSA severity, but not with subsequent adverse outcomes. The molecular epidemiology of C. difficile has shifted, and this may have implications for the optimal diagnostic strategy for and clinical severity of CDI.

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection and Other Conditions in Children: A Joint Position Paper From the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition and the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is becoming part of the treatment algorithms against recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (rCDI) both in adult and pediatric gastroenterology practice. With our increasing recognition of the critical role the microbiome plays in human health and disease, FMT is also being considered as a potential therapy for other disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn disease, ulcerative colitis), graft versus host disease, neuropsychiatric diseases, and metabolic syndrome. Controlled trials with FMT for rCDI have not been performed in children, and numerous clinical and regulatory considerations have to be considered when using this untraditional therapy. This report is intended to provide guidance for FMT in the treatment of rCDI in pediatric patients.

Process and Outcome of Fecal Microbiota Transplants in Patients With Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection: A Prospective Study

The incidence of Clostridium difficile infection is on the rise worldwide, causing high mortality rates and costing patients, hospitals, and insurance companies millions of dollars annually. Fecal microbiota transplants successfully treat recurrent C. difficile infections unresponsive to standard pharmacologic treatment such as flagyl, vancomycin, or rifaximin. Evidence in the literature provided the foundation for the development and refinement of this fecal microbiota transplant protocol. During the initial phase of the project, the protocol included patient selection criteria, donor screening/selection, infection control, fecal processing and delivery, and patient pre and postprocedure education. This article highlights the second phase of prospective testing of a nurse-driven protocol to implement fecal microbiota transplantation in patients with recurrent C. difficile infection. All stages of the protocol are explained as well as rationale for component parts to achieve successful patient outcomes when the protocol is carefully followed.

Clinical and endoscopic features in patients with hospital-acquired diarrhea associated with Clostridium difficile infection

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS

Clostridium difficile infection is the main cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea, and the clinical and endoscopic findings in those patients have been studied very little in Mexico. The aim of the present study was to describe those findings.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A prospective cohort study was conducted that included patients with hospital-acquired diarrhea associated with Clostridium difficile diagnosed through polymerase chain reaction. The hypervirulent NAP027 strain was also determined. The clinical and endoscopic findings in the study patients, as well as the variables associated with severity, were analyzed.

RESULTS

Of the 127 patients with hospital-acquired diarrhea, 97 were excluded from the study due to lack of colonoscopy. The remaining 39 study patients had a mean age of 48 years, and their most common signs/symptoms were abdominal pain (49%), mucus in stools (41%), and blood in stools (10%). The most common alterations in the laboratory results were leukocytosis in 49%, fecal leukocytes (61%), and hypoalbuminemia (67%). The main risk factor was antibiotic use in 62%, and ceftriaxone was the most widely used. The hypervirulent strain was present in 54% of the cases. Endoscopic abnormalities were found in 87% of the patients. Thirty-eight percent presented with pseudomembranous colitis, with lesions in the left colon in 53%, and in the right colon in 13%. No association was found between proton-pump inhibitor use and Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea. There was a significant association between hypoalbuminemia (< 3.3g/dL) and a greater risk for severe colitis, with a RR of 8.2 (p=0.008).

CONCLUSIONS

Pseudomembranous colitis lesions associated with the hypervirulent Clostridium difficile strain were predominant in the left colon. Hypoalbuminemia was a significant severity predictor.

Patient Perspectives on Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Clostridium Difficile Infection

INTRODUCTION

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a severe and increasingly frequent healthcare-associated infection that develops after disruption of the gut microbiota. Immunocompromised, hospitalized patients have an increased likelihood of acquiring CDI, leading to lengthened hospital stays, increased medical fees, and higher rates of morbidity and mortality. Treatment of CDI is challenging because of limited treatment options and a 19-20% recurrence rate. Thus, there is a need for effective, affordable and safe treatments for CDI. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is the transplantation of donor stool into the intestine of a CDI patient to restore the structure and function of the gut microbiota and eradicate CDI. Recently, FMT has become an attractive alternative treatment for CDI due to its overwhelming success rate. However, the patient perspective on the effect of CDI and the role of FMT in that context is lacking.

METHODS

We undertook a patient survey to gather qualitative and quantitative data on the short-term social, physical, emotional outcomes for patients with CDI who have undergone FMT.

RESULTS

We found in all patients interviewed that the social implications of CDI were generally more severe than the emotional and physical aspects.

CONCLUSION

Future studies should consider evaluating these important patient-centered factors as outcomes. Moreover, patients are willing to undergo FMT as treatment for CDI.

Emergence of community-acquired Clostridium difficile infection: the experience of a French hospital and review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a common cause of nosocomial diarrhoea. People in the general community are not usually considered to be at risk of CDI. CDI is associated with a high risk of morbidity and mortality. The risk of severity is defined by the Clostridium Severity Index (CSI).

METHODS

The cases of 136 adult patients with CDI treated at the University Hospital of Tours, France between 2008 and 2012 are described. This was a retrospective study.

RESULTS

Among the 136 patients included, 62 were men and 74 were women. Their median age was 64.4 years (range 18-97 years). Twenty-six of the 136 (19%) cases were community-acquired (CA) and 110 (81%) were healthcare-acquired (HCA). The major risk factors for both groups were long-term treatment with proton pump inhibitors (54% of CA, 53% of HCA patients) and antibiotic treatment within the 2.5 months preceding the CDI (50% of CA, 91% of HCA). The CSI was higher in the CA-CDI group (1.56) than in the HCA-CDI group (1.39). Intensive care was required for 8% of CA-CDI and 16.5% of HCA-CDI patients.

CONCLUSIONS

CDI can cause community-acquired diarrhoea, and CA-CDI may be more severe than HCA-CDI. Prospective studies of CDI involving people from the general community without risk factors are required to confirm this observation.

Treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile infection with fecal transplantation

Clostridium difficile infection is an increasingly common clinical challenge in hospitals and healthcare facilities. The infection often results in severe complications for the infected individual including relentless diarrhea, abdominal pain, dehydration, and mortality. Currently, there is a significant gap between research and practice in the management of recurrent Clostridium difficile infection, and treatment guidelines are limited. Numerous attempts at treating this infection have been made including the practice of fecal transplantation. A comprehensive literature search was conducted and 6 studies were reviewed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of fecal transplantation as a modality in treating recurrent Clostridium difficile infection refractory to other treatment methodologies. The implementation of fecal transplantation is suggested to restore normal bowel flora in individuals with Clostridium difficile and rid patients of the infection. Additional studies have since revealed perceived barriers toward the implementation of this treatment modality, although it has shown promising results with success rates of 83%-100%. Further efficacy testing validation is needed in larger, prospective controlled trials to guide healthcare providers in the direction of a reliable, standardized treatment protocol for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection.

Outcomes of Clostridium difficile infection in hospitalized leukemia patients: a nationwide analysis

BACKGROUND The incidence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has increased among hospitalized patients and is a common complication of leukemia. We investigated the risks for and outcomes of CDI in hospitalized leukemia patients. METHODS Adults with a primary diagnosis of leukemia were extracted from the United States Nationwide Inpatient Sample database, 2005-2011. The primary outcomes of interest were CDI incidence, CDI-associated mortality, length of stay (LOS), and charges. In a secondary analysis, we sought to identify independent risk factors for CDI in leukemia patients. Logistic regression was used to derive odds ratios (ORs) adjusted for potential confounders. RESULTS A total of 1,243,107 leukemia hospitalizations were identified. Overall CDI incidence was 3.4% and increased from 3.0% to 3.5% during the 7-year study period. Leukemia patients had 2.6-fold higher risk for CDI than non-leukemia patients, adjusted for LOS. CDI was associated with a 20% increase in mortality of leukemia patients, as well as 2.6 times prolonged LOS and higher hospital charges. Multivariate analysis revealed that age >65 years (OR, 1.13), male gender (OR, 1.14), prolonged LOS, admission to teaching hospital (OR, 1.16), complications of sepsis (OR, 1.83), neutropenia (OR, 1.35), renal failure (OR, 1.18), and bone marrow or stem cell transplantation (OR, 1.27) were significantly associated with CDI occurrence. CONCLUSIONS Hospitalized leukemia patients have greater than twice the risk of CDI than non-leukemia patients. The incidence of CDI in this population increased 16.7% from 2005 to 2011. Development of CDI in leukemia patients was associated with increased mortality, longer LOS, and higher hospital charges.

Clostridium difficile infection after cardiac surgery: prevalence, morbidity, mortality, and resource utilization

OBJECTIVE

Despite increasing efforts to prevent infection, the prevalence of hospital-associated Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) is increasing. Heightened awareness prompted this study of the prevalence and morbidity associated with CDI after cardiac surgery.

METHODS

A total of 22,952 patients underwent cardiac surgery at Cleveland Clinic from January 2005 to January 2011. CDI was diagnosed by enzyme immunoassay for toxins and, more recently, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. Hospital outcomes and long-term survival were compared with those of the remaining population in propensity-matched groups.

RESULTS

One hundred forty-five patients (0.63%) tested positive for CDI at a median of 9 days postoperatively, 135 by enzyme immunoassay and 11 by PCR. Its prevalence more than doubled over the study period. Seventy-seven patients (48%) were transfers from outside hospitals. Seventy-three patients (50%) were exposed preoperatively to antibiotics and 79 (56%) to proton-pump inhibitors. Patients with CDI had more baseline comorbidities, more reoperations, and received more blood products than patients who did not have CDI. Presenting symptoms included diarrhea (107; 75%), distended abdomen (48; 34%), and abdominal pain (27; 19%). All were treated with metronidazole or vancomycin. Sixteen patients (11%) died in hospital, including 5 of 10 who developed toxic colitis; 3 of 4 undergoing total colectomy survived. Among matched patients, those with CDI had more septicemia (P < .0001), renal failure (P = .0002), reoperations (P < .0001), prolonged postoperative ventilation (P < .0001), longer hospital stay (P < .0001), and lower 3-year survival, 52% versus 64% (P = .03), than patients who did not have CDI.

CONCLUSIONS

Although rare, the prevalence of CDI is increasing, contributing importantly to morbidity and mortality after cardiac surgery. If toxic colitis develops, mortality is high, but colectomy may be lifesaving.

Diarrhea in solid-organ transplant recipients: a review of the evidence

OBJECTIVE

To provide a comprehensive review of the literature as it relates to diarrhea in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients. In this article, we review the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and management of diarrhea in SOT recipients and discuss recent advances and challenges.

METHODS

Two investigators conducted independent literature searches using PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus until January 1st, 2013. All databases were searched using a combination of the terms diarrhea, solid organ transplant, SOT, transplant associated diarrhea, and transplant recipients. Articles that discussed diarrhea in SOT recipients were reviewed and relevant cross-references also read and evaluated for inclusion. Selection bias could be a possible limitation of the approach used in selecting or finding articles for this article.

FINDINGS

Post-transplant diarrhea is a common and distressing occurrence in patients, which can have significant deleterious effects on the clinical course and well-being of the organ recipient. A majority of cases are due to infectious and drug-related etiologies. However, various other etiologies including inflammatory bowel disease must be considered in the differential diagnosis. A step-wise, informed approach to post-transplant diarrhea will help the clinician achieve the best diagnostic yield. The use of diagnostic endoscopy should be preceded by exclusion of an infectious or drug-related cause of diarrhea. Empiric management with antidiarrheal agents, probiotics, and lactose-free diets may have a role in managing patients for whom no cause can be determined even after an extensive investigation.

CONCLUSIONS

Physicians should be familiar with the common etiologies that result in post-transplant diarrhea. A directed approach to diagnosis and treatment will not only help to resolve the diarrhea but also prevent potentially life-threatening consequences including loss of the graft as well. Prospective studies are required to determine the etiology of post-transplant diarrhea in different clinical and geographic settings.

Clostridium difficile infection in children: a comprehensive review

OBJECTIVE

To provide a comprehensive review of the literature relating to Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection (CDI) in the pediatric population.

METHODS

Two investigators conducted independent searches of PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus until March 31st, 2013. All databases were searched using the terms 'Clostridium difficile infection', 'Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea' 'antibiotic associated diarrhea', 'C. difficile', in combination with 'pediatric' and 'paediatric'. Articles which discussed pediatric CDI were reviewed and relevant cross references also read and evaluated for inclusion. Selection bias could be a possible limitation of this approach.

FINDINGS

There is strong evidence for an increased incidence of pediatric CDI. Increasingly, the infection is being acquired from the community, often without a preceding history of antibiotic use. The severity of the disease has remained unchanged. Several medical conditions may be associated with the development of pediatric CDI. Infection prevention and control with antimicrobial stewardship are of paramount importance. It is important to consider the age of the child while testing for CDI. Traditional therapy with metronidazole or vancomycin remains the mainstay of treatment. Newer antibiotics such as fidaxomicin appear promising especially for the treatment of recurrent infection. Conservative surgical options may be a life-saving measure in severe or fulminant cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Pediatric providers should be cognizant of the increased incidence of CDI in children. Early and judicious testing coupled with the timely institution of therapy will help to secure better outcomes for this disease.

Clostridium difficile infection in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia: from the Canadian Infections in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Research Group

BACKGROUND

The prevalence and severity of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has increased over time in adult patients, but little is known about CDI in pediatric cancer. The primary objectives were to describe the incidence and characteristics of CDI in children with de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The secondary objective was to describe factors associated with CDI.

METHOD

We performed a multicenter, retrospective cohort study of children with de novo AML and evaluated CDI. Recurrence, sepsis and infection-related death were examined. Factors associated with CDI were also evaluated.

RESULTS

Forty-three CDI occurred in 37 of 341 (10.9%) patients during 42 of 1277 (3.3%) courses of chemotherapy. There were 6 children with multiple episodes of CDI. Three infections were associated with sepsis, and no children died of CDI. Only 2 children had an associated enterocolitis. Both days of broad-spectrum antibiotics (odds ratio 1.03, 95% confidence interval: 1.01 to 1.06; P = 0.003) and at least 1 microbiologically documented sterile site infection (odds ratio 10.81, 95% confidence interval: 5.88 to 19.89; P < 0.0001) were independently associated with CDI.

CONCLUSIONS

CDI occurred in 11% of children receiving intensive chemotherapy for AML, and outcomes were not severe. CDI is not a prominent issue in pediatric AML in terms of prevalence, incidence or associated outcomes.

A new strategy for the prevention of Clostridium difficile infection

BACKGROUND

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. The infective form of C. difficile is the spore, but the vegetative bacterium causes the disease. Because C. difficile spore germination is required for symptomatic infection, antigermination approaches could lead to the prevention of CDI. We recently reported that CamSA, a bile salt analog, inhibits C. difficile spore germination in vitro.

METHODS

Mice infected with massive inocula of C. difficile spores were treated with different concentrations of CamSA and monitored for CDI signs. C. difficile spore and vegetative cells were counted in feces from infected mice.

RESULTS

A single 50-mg/kg dose of CamSA prevented CDI in mice without any observable toxicity. Lower CamSA doses resulted in delayed CDI onset and less severe signs of disease. Ingested C. difficile spores were quantitatively recovered from feces of CamSA-protected mice.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results support a mechanism whereby the antigermination effect of CamSA is responsible for preventing CDI signs. This approach represents a new paradigm in CDI treatment. Instead of further compromising the microbiota of CDI patients with strong antibiotics, antigermination therapy could serve as a microbiota surrogate to curtail C. difficile colonization of antibiotic-treated patients.