The impact of intensive staff education on rate of Clostridium difficile-associated disease in hospitalized geriatric patients

Abstract

Toxin-producing Clostridium difficile is the most common cause of nosocomial diarrhea in geriatric units. The purpose of study was to check the impact of intensive staff education on rate of Clostridium difficile-associated disease in hospitalized geriatric patients. The sampling frame was all patients suffering from diarrhea checked for Clostridium difficile toxin during the years 2017-2018. Clostridium difficile-positive patients were compared to a similar number of Clostridium difficile toxin-negative patients. The data were compared to our previous study, followed by medical staff's educational program for Clostridium difficile control and prevention. Among 217 patients with diarrhea, 60 (27.6%) were positive for Clostridium difficile toxin. The study group tended to be of older age (p = 0.06), and showed higher rate of functional impairment (p < 0.001) and mortality (p < 0.001) than Clostridium difficile toxin negative patients. The rate of Clostridium difficile toxin-positive patients did not significantly differ between the previous and current studies (20.0% and 27.6%, respectively). In spite of findings, that patients tended to be older, with high rate of mortality, the rate of Clostridium difficile did not change from the previous study.