Obstetrical Clostridium difficile Infection: A Retrospective Cohort Study [30D

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Clostridium difficile infections (CDIs) occurring in pregnancy and the peripartum period have been reported with increasing frequency. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors and morbidity associated with obstetrical CDI. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study, using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample. The admission and delivery records of pregnant women were reviewed between 1999 and 2013. After adjusting for demographic data, the antenatal admission record and delivery outcomes of women with CDI in pregnancy were compared to pregnancies without CDI, using unconditional logistic regression. RESULTS: Of the total 12,592,178 births in our cohort, we identified 2757 admissions complicated by CDI. During the study period, the rate of antenatal admission for CDI doubled from 15 to 30 admissions per 100 000 deliveries per year (p < 0.001). Risk factors associated with CDI in pregnancy include: age over 35, multiple gestations, smoking, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, long-term antibiotic use, pneumonia, pyelonephritis, as well as cesarean or perineal wound infection. CDI in pregnancy was associated with a significant increase in maternal death (OR 56.82, 95% CI 35.83-90.10). Further, there was an increase in sepsis (OR 59.10, 95% CI 48.80-71.57), paralytic ileus (OR 33.08, 95% CI 27.51-39.78), venous thromboembolism (OR 8.14, 95% CI 6.52-10.16) and hospital stays greater than 2 weeks (OR 24.34, 95% CI 21.59-27.44). CONCLUSION: CDIs in pregnancy have increased over the last fifteen-years and are associated with significant maternal morbidity and increased mortality.