Researchers studied 138 children from eight U.S. sites from October 2014 to February 2016. The children were between the ages of 1 and 5 years with a positive C. diff stool specimen collected as an outpatient or within three days of hospitalization. The children had not been admitted to a healthcare facility in the prior 12 weeks and had no history of CDI. The children were matched to one randomly selected control by site and age group.
The study shows a significantly higher proportion of study participants than controls had:
● An underlying chronic medical condition (33.3 percent versus 11.9 percent of controls)
● A neonatal intensive care unit stay at time of birth (26.9 percent versus 13.2 percent)
● Recent antibiotic exposure (53.6 percent versus 20.6 percent)
● Recent higher-risk outpatient healthcare exposures (34.9 percent versus 19.1 percent)
● A household member with diarrhea (36.2 percent versus 20.6 percent)
Researchers found no difference in the proportion of study participants and controls who had a feeding tube or a recent exposure to gastric acid suppressants.
“Improving outpatient antibiotic use, particularly among children with comorbidities, might reduce CA-CDI in this population,” study authors concluded.
More articles on healthcare quality:
Dentist-prescribed antibiotics linked to rising C. diff rates
Texas sees 2nd locally acquired case of Zika this year
Viewpoint: Pressure to reduce readmissions can hinder care quality, patient safety
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.
