Archives of Public Health (Sep 2024)

Analysis of factors affecting the length of hospitalization of patients with Clostridioides difficile infection: a cross-sectional study

  • Jarosław Drobnik,
  • Piotr Pobrotyn,
  • Štefánia Moricová,
  • Katarzyna Madziarska,
  • Mateusz Baran

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13690-024-01392-4
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 82, no. 1
pp. 1 – 10

Abstract

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Abstract Background Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is an infectious disease caused by the gram-positive, anaerobic bacterium C. difficile. The vulnerable populations for CDI include the elderly, immunocompromised individuals, and hospitalized patients, especially those undergoing antimicrobial therapy, which is a significant risk factor for this infection. Due to its complications and increased resistance to treatment, CDI often leads to longer hospital stays. This study aimed to determine the average length of hospital stay (LOS) of Polish patients with CDI and to identify factors affecting the LOS of infected patients. Methods The study analyzed medical records of adult patients treated with CDI in one of the biggest clinical hospitals in Poland between 2016–2018. Information encompassed the patient's age, LOS results of selected laboratory tests, number of antibiotics used, nutritional status based on Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS 2002), year of hospitalization, presence of diarrhea on admission, systemic infections, additional conditions, and undergone therapies. The systematic collection of these variables forms the foundation for a comprehensive analysis of factors influencing the length of stay. Results In the study period, 319 patients with CDI were hospitalized, with a median LOS of 24 days (min–max = 2–344 days). The average LOS was 4.74 days in 2016 (median = 28 days), 4.27 days in 2017 (median = 24 days), and 4.25 days in 2018 (median = 23 days). There was a weak negative correlation (Rho = -0.235, p 0.05). However, the multivariate regression model explained a substantial portion of the variance in hospitalization length, with an R-squared value of 0.844. Conclusions Hospitalization of a patient with CDI is long. Low albumin levels and increased risk of malnutrition were observed in longer hospitalized patients. Longer hospitalized patients had pneumonia, stroke, or surgery, and were admitted for a reason other than CDI.

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