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. 2017 May 1;45(5):508-511.
doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2016.12.006. Epub 2017 Jan 13.

Burden of Clostridium difficile infection: Associated hospitalization in a cohort of middle-aged and older adults

Yingxi Chen  1 , Kathryn Glass  1 , Bette Liu  2 , Rosemary J Korda  1 , Thomas V Riley  3 , Martyn D Kirk  4
Affiliations

Burden of Clostridium difficile infection: Associated hospitalization in a cohort of middle-aged and older adults

Yingxi Chen et al. Am J Infect Control. .

Abstract

Background: Clostridium difficile is the principal cause of infectious diarrhea in hospitalized patients. The aim of this study was to describe and compare length of stay (LOS), costs, and in-hospital deaths for C difficile infection (CDI) and non-CDI hospitalizations, in a cohort of middle-aged and older Australians.

Methods: We used survey data from the 45 and Up Study, linked to hospitalization and death data. We calculated the average LOS and costs per hospitalization, and the proportion of in-hospital deaths for CDI and non-CDI hospitalizations. We then compared hospitalizations with CDI as a secondary diagnosis to non-CDI hospitalizations by stratifying hospitalizations based on principal diagnosis and then using generalized linear models to compare LOS and in-hospital costs, and logistic regression for in-hospital deaths, adjusting for age and sex.

Results: There were 641 CDI hospitalizations during 2006-2012. The average LOS was 17 days; the average cost per hospitalization was AUD 12,704; and in 7.3% of admissions (47 out of 641) the patient died. After adjusting for age and sex, hospitalizations with CDI were associated with longer LOS, higher costs, and a greater proportion of in-hospital deaths compared with hospitalizations with similar principal diagnosis but without CDI.

Conclusions: CDI places additional burden on the Australian hospital system, with CDI patients having relatively lengthy hospital stays and high costs.

Keywords: CDI; Cost; In-hospital death; Length of stay.

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