Effect of ribotype on all-cause mortality following Clostridium difficile infection

"Primum, non nocere": The Epidemiology of Toxigenic Clostridioides difficile Strains in the Antibiotic Era-Insights from a Prospective Study at a Regional Infectious Diseases Hospital in Eastern Europe

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), though identified nearly five decades ago, still remains a major challenge, being associated with significant mortality rates. The strains classified as hypervirulent, notably 027/NAP1/BI, have garnered substantial attention from researchers and clinicians due to their direct correlation with the severity of the disease. Our study aims to elucidate the significance of toxigenic Clostridioides difficile (CD) strains in the clinical and therapeutic aspects of managing patients diagnosed with CDI. We conducted a single-center prospective study, including patients with CDI from north-eastern Romania. We subsequently conducted molecular biology testing to ascertain the prevalence of the presumptive 027/NAP1/BI strain within aforementioned geographic region. The patients were systematically compared and assessed both clinically and biologically, employing standardized and comparative methodologies. The study enrolled fifty patients with CDI admitted between January 2020 and June 2020. Among the investigated patients, 43 (86%) exhibited infection with toxigenic CD strains positive for toxin B genes (tcdB), binary toxin genes (cdtA and cdtB), and deletion 117 in regulatory genes (tcdC), while the remaining 7 (14%) tested negative for binary toxin genes (cdtA and cdtB) and deletion 117 in tcdC. The presence of the presumptive 027/NAP1/BI strains was linked to a higher recurrence rate (35.56%, p = 0.025), cardiovascular comorbidities (65.1% vs. 14.2%, p = 0.016), and vancomycin treatment (55.8% vs. 14.3%, p = 0.049). The findings of our investigation revealed an elevated incidence of colitis attributed to presumptive 027/NAP1/BI. Despite the prevalence of the presumptive 027 strain and its associated heightened inflammation among the patients studied, no significant differences were observed regarding the clinical course or mortality outcomes.

The association of a reduced susceptibility to moxifloxacin in causative Clostridium (Clostridioides) difficile strain with the clinical outcome of patients

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the relationship between Clostridium (Clostridioides) difficile strain characteristics and C. difficile infection (CDI) outcome.

METHODS

Between October and December 2017, 16 hospitals collected epidemiological data according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) surveillance protocol for CDI. C. difficile isolates were characterized by ribotyping, toxin genes detection and antibiotic susceptibility testing to metronidazole, vancomycin and moxifloxacin.

RESULTS

The overall mean CDI incidence density was 4.5 [95% CI 3.6-5.3] cases per 10,000 patient-days. From the 433 CDI cases, 330 (76.2%) were healthcare-associated, 52 (12.0%) cases were community-associated or of unknown origin and 51 (11.8%) CDI cases recurrent; a complicated course of CDI was reported in 65 cases (15.0%). Eighty-eight (20.3%) of patients died and 59 of them within 30 days after the CDI diagnosis. From the 379 C. difficile isolates, the most prevalent PCR ribotypes were 001 (n = 127, 33.5%) and 176 (n = 44, 11.6%). A total of 186 (49.1%) isolates showed a reduced susceptibility to moxifloxacin (> 4 mg/L) and 96.4% of them had Thr82Ile in the GyrA. Nineteen isolates revealed reduced susceptibility to metronidazole and two isolates to vancomycin (> 2 mg/L). A fatal outcome was associated with a reduced susceptibility to moxifloxacin, the advanced age of the patients and a complicated course of CDI (p<0.05). No association between ribotype, binary toxin and a reduced susceptibility to moxifloxacin and complicated course or recurrent CDI was found.

CONCLUSIONS

A reduced susceptibility to moxifloxacin, in causative C. difficile strains was associated with fatal outcome of the patients, therefore it is an important marker in surveillance of CDI.

Molecular epidemiology of predominant and emerging Clostridioides difficile ribotypes

There has been an increase in the incidence and severity of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) worldwide, and strategies to control, monitor, and diminish the associated morbidity and mortality have been developed. Several typing methods have been used for typing of isolates and studying the epidemiology of CDI; serotyping was the first typing method, but then was replaced by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). PCR ribotyping is now the gold standard method; however, multi locus sequence typing (MLST) schemes have been developed. New sequencing technologies have allowed comparing whole bacterial genomes to address genetic relatedness with a high level of resolution and discriminatory power to distinguish between closely related strains. Here, we review the most frequent C. difficile ribotypes reported worldwide, with a focus on their epidemiology and genetic characteristics.

Bezlotoxumab for Prevention of Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection in Patients at Increased Risk for Recurrence

Background

Bezlotoxumab is a human monoclonal antibody against Clostridium difficile toxin B indicated to prevent C. difficile infection (CDI) recurrence (rCDI) in adults at high risk for rCDI. This post hoc analysis of pooled monocolonal antibodies for C.difficile therapy (MODIFY) I/II data assessed bezlotoxumab efficacy in participants with characteristics associated with increased risk for rCDI.

Methods

The analysis population was the modified intent-to-treat population who received bezlotoxumab or placebo (n = 1554) by risk factors for rCDI that were prespecified in the statistical analysis plan: age ≥65 years, history of CDI, compromised immunity, severe CDI, and ribotype 027/078/244. The proportion of participants with rCDI in 12 weeks, fecal microbiota transplant procedures, 30-day all cause and CDI-associated hospital readmissions, and mortality at 30 and 90 days after randomization were presented.

Results

The majority of enrolled participants (75.6%) had ≥1 risk factor; these participants were older and a higher proportion had comorbidities compared with participants with no risk factors. The proportion of placebo participants who experienced rCDI exceeded 30% for each risk factor compared with 20.9% among those without a risk factor, and the rCDI rate increased with the number of risk factors (1 risk factor: 31.3%; ≥3 risk factors: 46.1%). Bezlotoxumab reduced rCDI, fecal microbiota transplants, and CDI-associated 30-day readmissions in participants with risk factors for rCDI.

Conclusions

The risk factors prespecified in the MODIFY statistical analysis plan are appropriate to identify patients at high risk for rCDI. While participants with ≥3 risk factors had the greatest reduction of rCDI with bezlotoxumab, those with 1 or 2 risk factors may also benefit.

Clinical Trials Registration

NCT01241552 (MODIFY I) and NCT01513239 (MODIFY II).

Hypoalbuminemia as predictor of recurrence of Clostridium difficile infection

Background

Novel drugs for Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infections have been proven to reduce recurrent infections. Because of their high financial costs, identification of patients at high risk for recurrence is essential to provide optimal treatment. The ATLAS score’s ability to predict 90-day recurrence, disease complications and 1‑year all-cause mortality was evaluated.

Methods

144 consecutive symptomatic patients with positive stool test for C. difficile were enrolled. The ATLAS score (consisting of the variables age, temperature, leukocyte count, albumin, systemic antibiotics, serum creatinine) was calculated and patients were stratified into 4 subgroups according to their scores. A Cox regression model was used to estimate the extent to which ATLAS was associated with 90-day recurrence. Furthermore, the score was correlated with disease complications and one-year all-cause mortality.

Results

ATLAS was unable to predict 90-day recurrence (p = 0.064, HR 1.134 [0.993;1.295]), but performed well for disease complications (D = 0.382, p < 0.001, HR 1.547 [1.266;1.889]) and mortality (p < 0.001, HR 1.374 [1.194;1.583]). Serum albumin was the only parameter able to predict 90-day recurrence (p = 0.016, HR 0.958 [0.926;0.992]) and was also a predictor of disease complications (p < 0.001, HR 0.865[0.809;0.924]) and one-year all-cause mortality (p < 0.001, HR 0.923 [0.896;0.950]). A threshold of 33.1g/L (sensitivity = 56%, specificity = 80%, AUC 0.683) and 29.2g/L (sensitivity = 75%, specificity = 70%, AUC 0.763) of serum albumin could be identified to be predictive for 90-day recurrence and one-year all-cause mortality, respectively.

Conclusions

Serum albumin and ATLAS are predictors of disease complications and mortality, while only serum albumin is significantly associated with 90-day disease recurrence.

Bezlotoxumab Is Associated With a Reduction in Cumulative Inpatient-Days: Analysis of the Hospitalization Data From the MODIFY I and II Clinical Trials

Background

Patients with recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (rCDI) are more likely to have a hospital readmission and spend increased time in inpatient settings compared with patients with primary CDI. MODIFY I and II demonstrated that bezlotoxumab significantly reduced rCDI vs placebo. A post hoc within-trial analysis assessed whether bezlotoxumab was associated with a reduction in cumulative inpatient-days.

Methods

Data were pooled from the MODIFY trials to estimate the cumulative hospitalized days summed over the 84-day follow-up period. We adjusted inpatient use data from pooled MODIFY I and II for survival and censoring to estimate 84-day cumulative inpatient-days, overall and for subgroups. Treatment effects were obtained using recycled predictions based on trial protocol and rCDI risk, and 95% confidence intervals were obtained using 1000 bootstrap replicates.

Results

Mean cumulative inpatient-days were greater in the placebo arm (14.1 days) vs the bezlotoxumab arm (12.1 days) in the overall population. The mean difference between treatment groups was 2.1 days (95% confidence interval, –0.4 to –3.7). This was consistent in participants with risk factors for rCDI: age ≥65 years, compromised immunity, severe CDI, prior CDI, and ribotype 027/078/244 infection. As the number of risk factors increased, bezlotoxumab resulted in greater reductions in the number of inpatient-days compared with placebo (difference: –1.2 days, –2.3 days, –2.5 days, and –3.0 days for 0, 1, 2, and ≥3 risk factors, respectively).

Conclusions

Bezlotoxumab was associated with a reduction in cumulative inpatient-days, suggesting that treatment with bezlotoxumab may substantially reduce rCDI-associated health care resource use.

Trial registrations. MODIFY I (MK-3415A-001, NCT01241552) and II (MK-3415A-002, NCT01513239)

Genomic and phenotypic diversity of Clostridium difficile during long-term sequential recurrences of infection

Infection with the emerging pathogen Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile might lead to colonization of the gastrointestinal tract of humans and mammals eventually resulting in antibiotic-associated diarrhea, which can be mild to possibly life-threatening. Recurrences after antibiotic treatment have been described in 15-30% of the cases and are either caused by the original (relapse) or by new strains (reinfection). In this study, we describe a patient with ongoing recurrent C. difficile infections over 13 months. During this time, ten C. difficile strains of six different ribotypes could be isolated that were further characterized by phenotypic and genomic analyses including motility and sporulation assays, growth fitness and antibiotic susceptibility as well as whole-genome sequencing. PCR ribotyping of the isolates confirmed that the recurrences were a mixture of relapses and reinfections. One recurrence was due to a mixed infection with three different strains of two different ribotypes. Furthermore, genomes were sequenced and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) was carried out, which identified the strains as members of sequence types (STs) 10, 11, 14 and 76. Comparison of the genomes of isolates of the same ST originating from recurrent CDI (relapses) indicated little within-patient microevolution and some concurrent within-patient diversity of closely related strains. Isolates of ribotype 126 that are binary toxin positive differed from other ribotypes in various phenotypic aspects including motility, sporulation behavior and cell morphology. Ribotype 126 is genetically related to ribotype 078 that has been associated with increased virulence. Isolates of the ribotype 126 exhibited elongated cells and a chaining phenotype, which was confirmed by membrane staining and scanning electron microscopy. Furthermore, this strain exhibits a sinking behavior in liquid medium in stationary growth phase. Taken together, our observation has proven multiple CDI recurrences that were based on a mixture of relapses and reinfections.

Thirty-Day Readmissions in Hospitalized Patients Who Received Bezlotoxumab With Antibacterial Drug Treatment for Clostridium difficile Infection

Clinical Trials Registration

NCT01241552 (MODIFY I) and NCT01513239 (MODIFY II).

Bezlotoxumab for Prevention of Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection

BACKGROUND

Clostridium difficile is the most common cause of infectious diarrhea in hospitalized patients. Recurrences are common after antibiotic therapy. Actoxumab and bezlotoxumab are human monoclonal antibodies against C. difficile toxins A and B, respectively.

METHODS

We conducted two double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trials, MODIFY I and MODIFY II, involving 2655 adults receiving oral standard-of-care antibiotics for primary or recurrent C. difficile infection. Participants received an infusion of bezlotoxumab (10 mg per kilogram of body weight), actoxumab plus bezlotoxumab (10 mg per kilogram each), or placebo; actoxumab alone (10 mg per kilogram) was given in MODIFY I but discontinued after a planned interim analysis. The primary end point was recurrent infection (new episode after initial clinical cure) within 12 weeks after infusion in the modified intention-to-treat population.

RESULTS

In both trials, the rate of recurrent C. difficile infection was significantly lower with bezlotoxumab alone than with placebo (MODIFY I: 17% [67 of 386] vs. 28% [109 of 395]; adjusted difference, -10.1 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], -15.9 to -4.3; P<0.001; MODIFY II: 16% [62 of 395] vs. 26% [97 of 378]; adjusted difference, -9.9 percentage points; 95% CI, -15.5 to -4.3; P<0.001) and was significantly lower with actoxumab plus bezlotoxumab than with placebo (MODIFY I: 16% [61 of 383] vs. 28% [109 of 395]; adjusted difference, -11.6 percentage points; 95% CI, -17.4 to -5.9; P<0.001; MODIFY II: 15% [58 of 390] vs. 26% [97 of 378]; adjusted difference, -10.7 percentage points; 95% CI, -16.4 to -5.1; P<0.001). In prespecified subgroup analyses (combined data set), rates of recurrent infection were lower in both groups that received bezlotoxumab than in the placebo group in subpopulations at high risk for recurrent infection or for an adverse outcome. The rates of initial clinical cure were 80% with bezlotoxumab alone, 73% with actoxumab plus bezlotoxumab, and 80% with placebo; the rates of sustained cure (initial clinical cure without recurrent infection in 12 weeks) were 64%, 58%, and 54%, respectively. The rates of adverse events were similar among these groups; the most common events were diarrhea and nausea.

CONCLUSIONS

Among participants receiving antibiotic treatment for primary or recurrent C. difficile infection, bezlotoxumab was associated with a substantially lower rate of recurrent infection than placebo and had a safety profile similar to that of placebo. The addition of actoxumab did not improve efficacy. (Funded by Merck; MODIFY I and MODIFY II ClinicalTrials.gov numbers, NCT01241552 and NCT01513239 .).

The Association between GABA-Modulators and Clostridium difficile Infection - A Matched Retrospective Case-Control Study

OBJECTIVE

Recently, metabolomics studies have suggested that the neurotransmitter γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) may modulate C. difficile infection (CDI) pathogenesis. In the present study, we investigated the association between GABA-modulating pharmaceuticals and CDI development.

METHODS

In July-December 2013, we performed a matched, retrospective case-control study in Skåne county, Sweden, to assess the association between the use of GABA-modulators (defined as regular use of at least one of the following: zolpidem, zopiclone, benzodiazepines, gabapentin, pregabalin or baclofen) and CDI. Multivariate regression models, adjusted for known risk factors for CDI, were fitted to assess the associations and a propensity score-adjusted analysis was performed.

RESULTS

The study included 292 cases and 292 matched controls. In a multivariate regression model only recent antibiotic use (clindamycin, cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones) and nursing home residency was significantly associated with CDI. The regular use of any GABA-modulator was not associated with CDI (OR = 1.07, 95%CI 0.69-1.66, p = 0.76). The association between regular use of the selective GABA-agonist zolpidem and CDI trended towards significance (OR = 2.31, 95%CI 0.91-5.86, p = 0.078). These associations remained when only cases treated with antibiotics were included. Corresponding findings for zolpidem was observed in a propensity-score adjusted analysis (OR = 2.52, 95% CI 0.91-6.97, p = 0.075). Severe initial CDI was significantly associated with CDI recurrence (OR = 3.77, 95% CU 1.20-11.86, p = 0.023).

CONCLUSION

This study did not identify a general association between GABA-modulators and CDI. A trend towards a significant association between zolpidem and CDI was observed, an association that should be re-assessed in a study appropriately powered for this particular hypothesis.

Predictors of Clostridium difficile infection-related mortality among older adults

BACKGROUND

Over 90% of annual deaths caused by Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) occur in persons aged ≥65 years. However, no large-scale studies have been conducted to investigate predictors of CDI-related mortality among older adults.

METHODS

This case-control study included 540 CDI patients aged ≥60 years admitted to a tertiary care hospital in Detroit, Michigan, between January 2005 and December 2012. Cases were CDI patients who died within 30 days of CDI date. Controls were CDI patients who survived >30 days after CDI date. Cases were matched to controls on a 1:3 ratio based on age and hospital acquisition of CDI.

RESULTS

One-hundred and thirty cases (25%) were compared with 405 controls (75%). Independent predictors of CDI-related mortality included admission from another acute hospital (odds ratio [OR], 8.25; P = .001) or a long-term care facility (OR, 13.12; P = .012), McCabe score ≥2 (OR, 12.19; P < .001), and high serum creatinine (≥1.7 mg/dL) (OR, 3.43; P = .021). The regression model was adjusted for the confounding effect of limited activity of daily living score, total number of antibiotic days prior to CDI, ileus on abdominal radiograph, low albumin (≤2.5 g/dL), elevated white blood cell count (>15 × 1,000/mm³), and admission to intensive care unit because of CDI.

CONCLUSIONS

Predictors of CDI-related mortality reported in this study could be applied to the development of a bedside scoring system for older adults with CDI.

Clostridium difficile associated risk of death score (CARDS): a novel severity score to predict mortality among hospitalised patients with C. difficile infection

BACKGROUND

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a public health threat and associated with significant mortality. However, there is a paucity of objectively derived CDI severity scoring systems to predict mortality.

AIM

To develop a novel CDI risk score to predict mortality entitled: Clostridium difficile associated risk of death score (CARDS).

METHODS

We obtained data from the United States 2011 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database. All CDI-associated hospitalisations were identified using discharge codes (ICD-9-CM, 008.45). Multivariate logistic regression was utilised to identify independent predictors of mortality. Clostridium difficile associated risk of death score was calculated by assigning a numeric weight to each parameter based on their odds ratio in the final logistic model. Predictive properties of model discrimination were assessed using the c-statistic and validated in an independent sample using the 2010 NIS database.

RESULTS

We identified 77 776 hospitalisations, yielding an estimate of 374 747 cases with an associated diagnosis of CDI in the US, 8% of whom died in the hospital. The eight severity score predictors were identified on multivariate analysis: age, cardiopulmonary disease, malignancy, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, acute renal failure, liver disease and ICU admission, with weights ranging from -1 (for diabetes) to 5 (for ICU admission). The overall risk score in the cohort ranged from 0 to 18. Mortality increased significantly as CARDS increased. CDI-associated mortality was 1.2% with a CARDS of 0 compared to 100% with CARDS of 18. The model performed equally well in our validation cohort.

CONCLUSION

Clostridium difficile associated risk of death score is a promising simple severity score to predict mortality among those hospitalised with C. difficile infection.

Clostridium difficile ribotype 027 is most prevalent among inpatients admitted from long-term care facilities

Intestinal inflammation was evaluated using faecal lactoferrin and ribotype in 196 hospitalized adults with Clostridium difficile infection to determine the impact of ribotype 027 in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). LTCF residents (n=28) had greater antibiotic use (P=0.049) and more ribotype 027 infection [odds ratio (OR): 4.87; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.02-11.74; P<0.01], compared to those admitted from home. Patients infected with ribotype 027 strains had worse six-month mortality (OR: 1.90; 95% CI: 1.08-3.34; P=0.03) and more inflammation (95.26 vs 36.08 μg/mL; P=0.006), compared to those infected with non-027 strains. This study was not designed to determine acquisition site, but, in this population, suggests that the location from which the patient has been admitted is strongly associated with ribotype 027 and more severe C. difficile disease.

Severe Clostridium difficile infection: incidence and risk factors at a tertiary care university hospital in Vienna, Austria

BACKGROUND

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the major cause of hospital-acquired bacterial diarrhoea. The incidence of CDI has been increasing in Canada, the US and Europe and severe cases are becoming more common.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study investigating all patients with an episode of CDI present at the Vienna University Hospital between 01 January 2012 and 31 December 2012 was conducted. All microbiologically confirmed C. difficile toxin positive cases were included, ribotyped and analysed regarding their clinical course.

RESULTS

A total of 278 patients with CDI were recorded, with an overall CDI incidence of 5.23 per 10,000 patients-days. Around 84,5 % (235/278) of CDI cases would have been classified as severe CDI according to European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) if all criteria were used. According to Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (SHEA/IDSA) guidelines only 16.5 % (46/278) could be classified as severe; with a severe CDI incidence of 4.41 and 0.86 per 10,000 patient-days, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed only a co-morbidity index of ≥ 3 (p = 0.013) as independent risk factor for severe CDI. No link between ribotype 027 and severity or clustering was observed in our study population.

CONCLUSIONS

Special attention in terms of restrictive antibiotic prescription should be given to patients having a Charlson co-morbidity ≥ 3 at the time of hospital admission. SHEA/IDSA guidelines were more accurate than ESCMID criteria in predicting severe CDI in our collective, of mostly severely ill patients, in a tertiary care hospital setting.

Risk factors for recurrence, complications and mortality in Clostridium difficile infection: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) can lead to complications, recurrence, and death. Numerous studies have assessed risk factors for these unfavourable outcomes, but systematic reviews or meta-analyses published so far were limited in scope or in quality.

METHODS

A systematic review was completed according to PRISMA guidelines. An electronic search in five databases was performed. Studies published until October 2013 were included if risk factors for at least one CDI outcome were assessed with multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

68 studies were included: 24 assessed risk factors for recurrence, 18 for complicated CDI, 8 for treatment failure, and 30 for mortality. Most studies accounted for mortality in the definition of complicated CDI. Important variables were inconsistently reported, such as previous episodes and use of antibiotics. Substantial heterogeneity and methodological limitations were noted, mainly in the sample size, the definition of the outcomes and periods of follow-up, precluding a meta-analysis. Older age, use of antibiotics after diagnosis, use of proton pump inhibitors, and strain type were the most frequent risk factors for recurrence. Older age, leucocytosis, renal failure and co-morbidities were frequent risk factors for complicated CDI. When considered alone, mortality was associated with age, co-morbidities, hypo-albuminemia, leucocytosis, acute renal failure, and infection with ribotype 027.

CONCLUSION

Laboratory parameters currently used in European and American guidelines to define patients at risk of a complicated CDI are adequate. Strategies for the management of CDI should be tailored according to the age of the patient, biological markers of severity, and underlying co-morbidities.

Risk factors for recurrence, complications and mortality in Clostridium difficile infection: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) can lead to complications, recurrence, and death. Numerous studies have assessed risk factors for these unfavourable outcomes, but systematic reviews or meta-analyses published so far were limited in scope or in quality.

METHODS

A systematic review was completed according to PRISMA guidelines. An electronic search in five databases was performed. Studies published until October 2013 were included if risk factors for at least one CDI outcome were assessed with multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

68 studies were included: 24 assessed risk factors for recurrence, 18 for complicated CDI, 8 for treatment failure, and 30 for mortality. Most studies accounted for mortality in the definition of complicated CDI. Important variables were inconsistently reported, such as previous episodes and use of antibiotics. Substantial heterogeneity and methodological limitations were noted, mainly in the sample size, the definition of the outcomes and periods of follow-up, precluding a meta-analysis. Older age, use of antibiotics after diagnosis, use of proton pump inhibitors, and strain type were the most frequent risk factors for recurrence. Older age, leucocytosis, renal failure and co-morbidities were frequent risk factors for complicated CDI. When considered alone, mortality was associated with age, co-morbidities, hypo-albuminemia, leucocytosis, acute renal failure, and infection with ribotype 027.

CONCLUSION

Laboratory parameters currently used in European and American guidelines to define patients at risk of a complicated CDI are adequate. Strategies for the management of CDI should be tailored according to the age of the patient, biological markers of severity, and underlying co-morbidities.

Outbreak of Clostridium difficile PCR ribotype 027--the recent experience of a regional hospital

Background

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the leading cause of healthcare-associated diarrhea, and several outbreaks with increased severity and mortality have been reported. In this study we report a C. difficile PCR ribotype 027 outbreak in Portugal, aiming to contribute to a better knowledge of the epidemiology of this agent in Europe.

Methods

Outbreak report with retrospective study of medical records and active surveillance data of all inpatients with the diagnosis of CDI, from 1^st January to 31^th December 2012, in a Portuguese hospital. C. difficile isolates were characterized regarding ribotype, toxin genes and moxifloxin resistance. Outbreak control measures were taken, concerning communication, education, reinforcement of infection control measures, optimization of diagnosis and treatment of CDI, and antibiotic stewardship.

Results

Fifty-three inpatients met the case definition of C. difficile-associated infection: 55% males, median age was 78.0 years (interquartile range: 71.0-86.0), 75% had co-morbidities, only 15% had a nonfatal condition, 68% had at least one criteria of severe disease at diagnosis, 89% received prior antibiotherapy, 79% of episodes were nosocomial. CDI rate peak was 13.89/10,000 bed days. Crude mortality rate at 6 months was 64.2% while CDI attributable cause was 11.3%. Worse outcome was related to older age (P = 0.022), severity criteria at diagnosis (leukocytosis (P = 0.008) and renal failure), and presence of fatal underlying condition (P = 0.025). PCR ribotype 027 was identified in 16 of 22 studied samples.

Conclusions

This is the first report of a 027-CDI outbreak in Portugal. We emphasize the relevance of the measures taken to control the outbreak and highlight the importance of implementing a close and active surveillance of CDI.