Clostridium Difficile Infections (CDI) in Hospital Stays, 2009

Clostridium difficile is an anaerobic, spore-forming bacterium that is a common cause of healthcare-associated infectious colitis. Symptoms of infection range from mild diarrhea to the sometimes-fatal pseudomembranous colitis and toxic megacolon. C. difficile infections (CDI) often occur as a complication of antibiotic therapy; ampicillin, clindamycin, thirdgeneration cephalosporins (such as cefotaxime and ceftazidime), and fluoroquinolones are commonly-identified high-risk drugs. The elderly are at highest risk of developing CDI. CDI is often associated with hospitalized patients who are frequently exposed to antibiotics, making them more susceptible to the disease. A previous report in this series described a doubling of CDI hospitalizations between 2001 and 2005, significant variation by region of the country, and high severity of illness among CDI patients.