DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofae127 ISSN: 2328-8957

Characteristics of patients with initial Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) that are associated with increased risk of multiple CDI recurrences

Alice Y Guh, Rongxia Li, Lauren Korhonen, Lisa G Winston, Erin Parker, Christopher A Czaja, Helen Johnston, Elizabeth Basiliere, James Meek, Danyel Olson, Scott K Fridkin, Lucy E Wilson, Rebecca Perlmutter, Stacy M Holzbauer, Paige D’Heilly, Erin C Phipps, Kristina G Flores, Ghinwa K Dumyati, Rebecca Pierce, Valerie L S Ocampo, Christopher D Wilson, Jasmine J Watkins, Dale N Gerding, L Clifford McDonald
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Oncology

Abstract

Background

Since interventions are available to prevent further recurrence in patients with recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (rCDI), we identified predictors of multiple rCDI (mrCDI) in adults at the time of presentation with initial CDI (iCDI).

Methods

iCDI was defined as a positive C. difficile test in any clinical setting during January 2018–August 2019 in a person aged ≥18 years with no known prior positive test. rCDI was defined as a positive test ≥14 days from the previous positive test within 180 days after iCDI; mrCDI was defined as ≥2 rCDI. We performed multivariable logistic regression analysis.

Results

Of 18,829 patients with iCDI, 882 (4.7%) had mrCDI; 437 with mrCDI and 7484 without mrCDI had full chart reviews. A higher proportion of patients with mrCDI than without mrCDI were aged ≥65 years (57.2% vs 40.7%; p < 0.0001) and had healthcare (59.1% vs 46.9%; p < 0.0001) and antibiotic (77.3% vs 67.3%; p < 0.0001) exposures in the 12 weeks preceding iCDI. In multivariable analysis, age ≥65 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.55-2.35), chronic hemodialysis (aOR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.48-3.51), hospitalization (aOR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.33-2.01) and nitrofurantoin use (aOR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.18-3.23) in the 12 weeks preceding iCDI were associated with mrCDI.

Conclusion

Patients with iCDI who are older, on hemodialysis, or had recent hospitalization or nitrofurantoin use had increased risk of mrCDI and may benefit from early use of adjunctive therapy to prevent mrCDI. If confirmed, these findings could aid in clinical decision making and interventional study designs.

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