The Particulars: Data are lacking on the burden of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) recurrence.
Data Breakdown: For a study, investigators used a long-term, large sample database and a matching algorithm to adjust for the confounding effect of patient baseline characteristics and comorbidities. The clinical outcomes and healthcare resource use of patients with a single CDI episode were compared with those of patients with recurrent infection from 2001 to 2010. The study team observed the following:
| Patients with recurrent CDI | Patients with non-recurrent CDI | |
| Mortality rate | 20.2% | 15.3% |
| ED visits per year | 1.7 visits | 1.3 visits |
| Days of overnight hospitalization | 9.7 days | 5.7 days |
| ICU days | 1.1 days | 0.6 days |
Take Home Pearls: Recurrent CDI appears to be associated with worse patient outcomes and a greater burden of resource use when compared with non-recurrent CDI. Identifying patients at increased risk for recurrence and preventing such recurrences is crucial to averting serious CDI-related complications.
