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Background Clostridium difficile (CD) is the leading cause of health care–associated diarrhea and can result in asymptomatic carriage. Rates of asymptomatic CD colonization on hospital admission range from 1.4%-21%. The objective of this study was to evaluate host and bacterial factors associated with colonization on admission. Methods The Consortium de recherche quebecois sur le Clostridium difficile study provided data for analysis, including demographic information, known risk factors, and potential confounding factors, prospectively collected for 5,232 patients from 6 hospitals in Quebec and Ontario over 15 months from 2006-2007. Stool or rectal swabs were obtained for culture on admission. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was performed on the isolates. The presence of antibody against CD toxins A and B was measured. Results There were 212 (4.05%) patients colonized with CD on admission, and 5,020 patients were not colonized with CD. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that hospitalization within the last 12 months, use of corticosteroids, prior CD infection, and presence of antibody against toxin B were associated with colonization on admission. Of patients colonized on admission, 79.4% had non-NAP1, non-NAP2 strains. Conclusion There are identifiable risk factors among asymptomatic CD carriers that could serve in their detection and provide a basis for targeted screening.

Background Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) occur frequently in neurological intensive care units (neuro-ICUs); however, data differentiating associations with various diagnostic categories and resulting burdens are limited. This prospective cohort study reported incidence rates, pathogen distribution, and patient-related outcomes of HAIs in a neuro-ICU population from April 2010 to March 2016. Methods Laboratory results and specific clinical indicators were used to categorize infections as per National Healthcare Safety Network nosocomial infection surveillance definitions. Patient outcomes studied included length of stay and mortality. Results There were 6,033 neuro-ICU admissions resulting in 20,800 neuro-ICU days over the 6-year study period. A total of 227 HAIs were identified for a rate of 10.9/1,000 ICU days. Device-associated infections accounted for 80.6% of HAIs, with incidence rates (per 1,000 device days) being 18.4 for ventilator-associated pneumonia; 4.9 for catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs); 4.0 for ventriculostomy-associated infections; and 0.6 for central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSIs). Of the various diagnostic categories, subdural hematoma and intracerebral/intraventricular hemorrhage were associated with the highest pooled HAIs, with incidence rates of 21.3 and 21.1 per 1,000 neuro-ICU days, respectively. Prolonged neuro-ICU length of stay was strongly associated with all HAIs. Conclusions This large-scale surveillance study provides estimates of the risk of common HAIs in neurocritical care patients and their effect on hospitalization. Preventive strategies kept rates of infection very low, in particular CAUTI, CLABSI, and Clostridium difficile infections, and inhibited the emergence of resistant organisms.

A retrospective cohort design was used to study the impact of a multiplex respiratory virus panel polymerase chain reaction test in 186 adult patients with suspected influenza-like illness. Decisions regarding continuation of empirical antiviral therapy appear to be impacted by the test. However, the impact on reducing antibiotic use remains unclear.