<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Clostridium difficile <italic>is an anaerobic bacterium than can colonise the lower intestine and cause enterocolitis in susceptible patients</italic>. Clostridium difficile <italic>infection (CDI) is typically a nosocomial infection, favoured by treatment with antibiotics (especially with broad-spectrum drugs), proton pump inhibitors, but also comorbidities, old age and prolonged hospitalisation. Based on the observation that in the past years, the frequency of nosocomial CDI has increased in the Institute of Pulmonology, Bucharest, this retrospective observational study aimed to analyse the characteristics of admitted patients who develop CDI, in order to identify possible particular features and risk factors. Accordingly, medical files from 80 patients admitted from January 2015 to August 2017 were analysed for demographic data, respiratory diagnosis, comorbidities, blood tests, treatments prescribed, time of CDI onset, evolution and outcome. The number of patients studied was 29 in 2015, 16 in 2016 and 35 in 2017, with slight male predominance. Totally, 54 patients (67.5%) had tuberculosis (pulmonary or pleural), 12 had lung cancer, five had respiratory infections, two had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and seven had other diseases. All patients but nine were receiving antibiotics: tuberculosis drugs, cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones and beta-lactams. About half of the patients received proton pump inhibitors. Most patients had several comorbidities. Mean time since admittance to onset of diarrhoea was 20 days. CDI was treated with metronidazole or vancomycin. The evolution was favourable in 90% of patients, but eight patients (10%) died</italic></p><p>This study highlights a high frequency of CDI in patients treated for tuberculosis. Due to insufficient data, no epidemiological consideration could be made. Further studies are needed to assess the relationship among tuberculosis, tuberculosis treatment and CDI.</p></abstract>

Clostridium difficile is an anaerobic bacterium than can colonise the lower intestine and cause enterocolitis in susceptible patients. Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is typically a nosocomial infection, favoured by treatment with antibiotics (especially with broad-spectrum drugs), proton pump inhibitors, but also comorbidities, old age and prolonged hospitalisation. Based on the observation that in the past years, the frequency of nosocomial CDI has increased in the Institute of Pulmonology, Bucharest, this retrospective observational study aimed to analyse the characteristics of admitted patients who develop CDI, in order to identify possible particular features and risk factors. Accordingly, medical files from 80 patients admitted from January 2015 to August 2017 were analysed for demographic data, respiratory diagnosis, comorbidities, blood tests, treatments prescribed, time of CDI onset, evolution and outcome. The number of patients studied was 29 in 2015, 16 in 2016 and 35 in 2017, with slight male predominance. Totally, 54 patients (67.5%) had tuberculosis (pulmonary or pleural), 12 had lung cancer, five had respiratory infections, two had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and seven had other diseases. All patients but nine were receiving antibiotics: tuberculosis drugs, cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones and beta-lactams. About half of the patients received proton pump inhibitors. Most patients had several comorbidities. Mean time since admittance to onset of diarrhoea was 20 days. CDI was treated with metronidazole or vancomycin. The evolution was favourable in 90% of patients, but eight patients (10%) diedThis study highlights a high frequency of CDI in patients treated for tuberculosis. Due to insufficient data, no epidemiological consideration could be made. Further studies are needed to assess the relationship among tuberculosis, tuberculosis treatment and CDI.

Profile of patients admitted in a pulmonology ward and developing <italic>Clostridium difficile</italic> enterocolitis

Pneumologia

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Profile of patients admitted in a pulmonology ward and developing  enterocolitis

Profilul pacienților internați într-un serviciu de pneumologie care dezvoltă enterocolită cu

Clostridium difficile is an anaerobic bacterium than can colonise the lower intestine and cause enterocolitis in susceptible patients. Clostridium difficile...

Respiratory diagnosis	Number of cases (%)

	2015		2016		2017		Total
Pulmonary TB	14	48.27%	11	68.75%	21	60%	46	57.5%
TB pleurisy	4	13.79%	0	0	4	11.42%	8	10%
TB total	18	62.06%	11	68.75%	25	71.42%	54	67.5%
Lung cancer	4	13.79%	3	18.75%	5	14.28%	12	15%
Infection	1	3.44%	1	6.25%	3	8.57%	5	6.25%
COPD	0	0	1	6.25%	1	2.85%	2	2.5%
Other	6	20.68%	0	0	1	2.85%	7	8.75%
Total	29		16		35		80

Profile of patients admitted in a pulmonology ward and developing Clostridium difficile enterocolitis

Article Category: Original Papers

Published Online: Jul 02, 2019

Page range: 31 - 36

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/pneum-2019-0010

Keywords
Clostridium difficile, antibiotics, tuberculosis, TB drugs

© 2019 Cojocaru et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Figure 1

Respiratory diseases for which the patients were admitted

Profile of patients admitted in a pulmonology ward and developing Clostridium difficile enterocolitis

Article Category: Original Papers

Published Online: Jul 02, 2019

Page range: 31 - 36

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/pneum-2019-0010

KeywordsClostridium difficile, antibiotics, tuberculosis, TB drugs

© 2019 Cojocaru et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Figure 1

Respiratory diseases for which the patients were admitted

Keywords
Clostridium difficile, antibiotics, tuberculosis, TB drugs