Predictors of Clostridium difficile Infection or Colonization During Hospitalization

Exposure to Clostridium difficile can cause infection or asymptomatic colonization. To identify patient and bacterial predictors of these two clinical states, investigators conducted a 15-month, prospective study of 4143 patients admitted to hospitals in Canada.

Participants provided rectal swabs or stool samples for toxigenic C. difficile culture on admission, weekly during hospitalization, and at the onset of diarrhea. Baseline levels of antibodies to toxins A and B were also obtained. Patients were excluded if they developed C. difficile infection within 72 hours after admission, within 60 days prior to admission, or after demonstrating asymptomatic C. difficile colonization on admission. Thus, the target groups for the study were those w…