Clayton L. Golledge

Diarrheal disease due to Clostridium difficile in general practice

Summary A total of 288 stool samples from patients attending their general practitioners was examined for the presence of Clostridium difficile. C. difficile or its cytotoxin was found in 16 patients (5.5%) and was the most common enteric pathogen detected. Most patients had only mild to moderate diarrhea but in the majority of patients the diarrhea was protracted. Eleven of the 16 patients had received antimicrobial agents in the 3 mths preceding onset of diarrhea and there was good circumstantial evidence that 2 other patients had also been exposed. None of the patients had a history of any inflammatory bowel disease or possible occupational exposure. The prescribing habits of general practitioners with regard to antimicrobial agents were monitored for a 1 yr period. Tetracyclines and amoxycillin accounted for approximately 25% each of all prescriptions dispensed. Ten of the 16 patients were treated with antimicrobials (mainly metronidazole) and in most cases the diarrhea resolved. We conclude that C. difficile may be a significant cause of community‐acquired diarrhea.

Epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection in two tertiary-care hospitals in Perth, Western Australia: a cross-sectional study

The epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has changed over time and between countries. It is therefore essential to monitor the characteristics of patients at risk of infection and the circulating strains to recognize local and global trends, and improve patient management. From December 2011 to May 2012 we conducted a prospective, observational epidemiological study of patients with laboratory-confirmed CDI at two tertiary teaching hospitals in Perth, Western Australia to determine CDI incidence and risk factors in an Australian setting. The incidence of CDI varied from 5.2 to 8.1 cases/10 000 occupied bed days (OBDs) at one hospital and from 3.9 to 16.3/10 000 OBDs at the second hospital. In total, 80 patients with laboratory-confirmed CDI met eligibility criteria and consented to be in the study. More than half (53.8%) had hospital-onset disease, 28.8% had community-onset and healthcare facility-associated disease and 7.5% were community-associated infections according to the definitions used. Severe CDI was observed in 40.0% of these cases but the 30-day mortality rate for all cases was only 2.5%. Besides a shorter length of stay among cases of community-onset CDI, no characteristics were identified that were significantly associated with community-onset or severe CDI. From 70 isolates, 34 different ribotypes were identified. The predominant ribotypes were 014 (24.3%), 020 (5.7%), 056 (5.7%) and 070 (5.7%). Whereas this study suggests that the characteristics of CDI cases in Australia are not markedly different from those in other developed countries, the increase in CDI rate observed emphasizes the importance of surveillance.

Skin entry site swabbing a poor predictor of catheter-related sepsis.

only two cases did results of swabbing correlate with tip culture (see Table). In both of these cases the organism was a coagulase-negative staphylococcus labeled Staphylococcus epidermis However, speciation was not performed and antibiotic susceptibilities were not determined fbr the isolates from entry-site swabbing. It is thus possible that these organisms represented different species or different strains within a species. Other investigators have also found a similar poor correlation between skin swabbing and catheter tip cultures. Hence, we would not recommend routine entry-site swabbing in the management of central venous catheters. Intravenous lines should be removed if there is any suspicion of catheter-related sepsis and culture of the catheter, preferably with a semiquantitative technique, should be performed.

Probiotics and Clostridium difficile- associated diarrhoea

Clostridium difficile is now recognised as the major cause of hospital acquired infectious diarrhoea. Data from Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (SCGH) in Perth, Western Australia, is typical of many similar hospitals in developed countries. SCGH is a 600 bed adult university teaching hospital. During the period 1983 to 1992, C. difficile was detected in 917 patients who were being investigated for diarrhoeal illness. Up to 120 patients a year were infected, most of these being elderly females. Incidence rates increased from 23/100,000 occupied bed days in 1983 to 56/100,000 occupied bed days in 1990.