PREVALENCE OF CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE INFECTION IN HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS

Abstract

Background: Over the past decade, the epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection has shown a remarkable increase in incidence in both hospital and community settings. Up to the last time, inappropriate antibiotic usage was considered as the main cause of the infection. The growth of morbidity and mortality rate of C. difficile infection is partly due to the worldwide dissemination of new and more virulent C. difficile strains, and is associated with increase in severity and related health care costs. Aim: To study the prevalence of C. difficile infection in the department of gastroenterology. Materials and methods: The prevalence of C. difficile infection in patients with gastrointestinal diseases with diarrheal syndrome who has not received antibiotics within the previous 6 months was investigated. The studied group included 238 diarrheal patients with an inflammatory bowel disease, chronic pancreatitis with excretory pancreas insufficiency, and several other diseases. To identify C. difficile infection, A and B toxins in patients’ stool were determined using immunochromatography method. Results: The prevalence of C. difficile infection in the group studied was found to be 39.1% and didn’t significantly differ from that of patients with different diseases (ulcerative colitis – 37.2%, Crohn’s disease – 31.6%, chronic pancreatitis – 36.2%). After etiotropic therapy, complete resolution of diarrhea was obtained in majority of patients, none of them tested positive for A and B toxins. Conclusion: Taking into account high frequency of C. difficile infection in diarrheal patients in department of gastroenterology authors recommend mandatory detection of C. difficile toxins in all hospitalized patients with diarrhea in gastroenterology, therapeutic, surgical departments.

Keywords

• clostridium difficile
• infection
• toxins
• diarrhea
• department of gastroenterology