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Clostridium difficile in Crete, Greece: epidemiology, microbiology and clinical disease.

Authors :
SAMONIS, G.
VARDAKAS, K. Z.
TANSARLI, G. S.
DIMOPOULOU, D.
PAPADIMITRIOU, G.
KOFTERIDIS, D. P.
MARAKI, S.
KARANIKA, M.
FALAGAS, M. E.
Source :
Epidemiology & Infection; Jan2016, Vol. 144 Issue 1, p161-170, 10p
Publication Year :
2016

Abstract

We studied the epidemiology and microbiology of Clostridium difficile and the characteristics of patients with C. difficile infection (CDI) in Crete in three groups of hospitalized patients with diarrhoea: group 1 [positive culture and positive toxin by enzyme immunoassay (EIA)]; group 2 (positive culture, negative toxin); group 3 (negative culture, negative toxin). Patients in group 1 were designated as those with definitive CDI (20 patients for whom data was available) and matched with cases in group 2 (40 patients) and group 3 (40 patients). C. difficile grew from 6% (263/4379) of stool specimens; 14·4% of these had positive EIA, of which 3% were resistant to metronidazole. Three isolates had decreased vancomycin susceptibility. Patients in groups 1 and 2 received more antibiotics (P = 0·03) and had more infectious episodes (P = 0·03) than patients in group 3 prior to diarrhoea. Antibiotic administration for C. difficile did not differ between groups 1 and 2. Mortality was similar in all three groups (10%, 12·5% and 5%, P = 0·49). CDI frequency was low in the University Hospital of Crete and isolates were susceptible to metronidazole and vancomycin. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
09502688
Volume :
144
Issue :
1
Database :
Complementary Index
Journal :
Epidemiology & Infection
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
111177496
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268815000837