Community-Acquired C. difficile Infection Different from Hospital Acquired

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is increasing in both frequency and severity in the U.S., but little is known about the breakdown of community-acquired versus hospital-acquired cases. To address this gap, researchers reviewed data from all confirmed cases of CDI in a Minnesota county from 1991 through 2005.

The incidence of both community-acquired and hospital-acquired CDI increased dramatically during the study period. Of all 385 cases, 41% were community acquired. Compared with patients with hospital-acquired CDI, those with community-acquired disease were younger (median age, 50 vs. 72), healthier, and more likely to be female (76% vs. 60%). They were also less likely to have antibiotic exposure (78% vs. 94%), to be on acid suppress…