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

Abstract

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 stool (41%), and blood in stool (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 (< 3.3 g/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. Resumen: Introducción y objetivos: La infección por Clostridium difficile (CD) es la causa principal de diarrea en hospitalizados. Los hallazgos clínicos y endoscópicos han sido poco estudiados en nuestro país. El objetivo de este estudio es describir estos hallazgos. Material y métodos: Estudio de cohorte prospectivo, se incluyeron pacientes con diarrea hospitalaria asociada a CD, diagnosticada mediante PCR y determinación de cepa hipervirulenta NAP027. Se analizaron los hallazgos clínicos y endoscópicos, así como las variables asociadas a severidad. Resultados: De 127 pacientes con diarrea hospitalaria, se excluyeron 97 por falta de colonoscopia. De los 39 pacientes incluidos, con edad promedio de 48 años, los signos/síntomas más comunes fueron dolor abdominal (49%), moco en heces (41%) y sangre en heces (10%); las alteraciones de laboratorio más comunes fueron leucocitosis en el 49%, leucocitos en heces (61%) e hipoalbuminemia (67%). El factor de riesgo principal fue el uso de antibiótico en un 62%, más comúnmente la ceftriaxona. La cepa hipervirulenta se presentó en el 54%. Se encontraron anormalidades endoscópicas en el 87%, con colitis seudomembranosa en un 38%, presentándose en colon izquierdo (53%) y en derecho (13%). No se encontró asociación entre uso de IBP y diarrea por CD. Se identificó una asociación significativa entre la hipoalbuminemia (< 3.3 g/dL) y un mayor riesgo de colitis severa, con un RR de 8.2 (p = 0.008). Conclusiones: Las lesiones de colitis seudomembranosa asociada a CD de cepa hipervirulenta predominan en colon izquierdo. La hipoalbuminemia es un predictor significativo de severidad. Keywords: Clostridium difficile, Pseudomembranous colitis, Colonoscopy, NAP027 strain, Palabras clave: Clostridium difficile, Colitis seudomembranosa, Colonoscopia, Cepa NAP027