Identifying those most susceptible to recurrent Clostridium difficile, which affects between one-tenth and one-quarter of C.diff patients, may be made simpler through identifying and tracking risk factors, according to research published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
Researchers analyzed data from more than 4,000 C. diff patients, 10.1 percent of whom developed a recurrent CDI.
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Patients with community-onset healthcare associated C. diff, more than two hospitalizations two months prior to diagnosis, new gastric acid suppression, use of fluoroquinolone and other high-risk antibiotics at the beginning of the initial CDI as well as increased age predicted CDI recurrence.
Stays in an intensive care unit were associated with a lower risk of redeveloping a CDI.
Flagging patients at risk for recurring CDI could help improve treatment and prevention strategies, the researchers suggested in their abstract.
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