A study published in American Journal of Infection Control found that the number of antibiotics given and hospitalization before admission affect the likelihood of contracting Clostridioides difficile infection among acute leukemia patients.
Researchers examined 509 consecutive patients with acute leukemia admitted to a hospital between 2006 and 2017.
They found:
• Incidence of C. diff was 2.2 per 1,000 inpatient days during induction therapy.
• C. diff was rare after hospital discharge.
• C. diff was highest in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia.
• A hospitalization shortly before admission and administration of a higher number of antibiotics increased the risk for C. diff.
• No single class of antibiotics conveyed an increased risk.
The researchers also found all cases were successfully treated, and C. diff was not associated with an increase in length of stay, costs or mortality.
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