Hospital-onset Clostridium Difficile Infection Rates Research Articles

Collect that Stool! The Impact of Delay in Specimen Collection to NHSN Lab ID C. difficile Events

BACKGROUND Despite multiple rapid laboratory tests available for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), delays in specimen collection may contribute to delays in diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, specimen collection delays may contribute to falsely increased National Health and Safety Network (NHSN) laboratory-identified (Lab ID) hospital onset (HO) CDI rates. Time from order to specimen collection and the impact of collection delays on HO CDI rates is unknown. METHODS Two community hospitals (450 and 472 licensed beds) conducted a retrospective review of electronic data from March-October 2018, including date of order for C. difficile toxin assay and date of specimen collection. Time to collection was compared for hospital of admission, level of care (intensive care unit [ICU] versus other) and shift of order (day versus night) using Mann-Whitney U (SPSS) and Chi-square analysis (Epi Info). The impact of delay on HO CDI cases was assessed. RESULTS 1516 stool specimens were collected. On average, there were 7.7?hours between order and collection (maximum delay = 7.9 days). Hospital A, ICU level of care, and night shift were correlated with significantly shorter time to specimen collection (p = 0.01, 0.02. 0.02, respectively). 330 specimens (22%) were collected on a subsequent calendar day, although this was only significantly impacted by level of care (p = 0.04). Of the 31 cases determined to be HO-CDI per NHSN Lab ID definition, 4 (13%) would have been CO had they been collected on the day ordered. Conclusions In this sample, delay in specimen collection for C. difficile testing was common, with many tests delayed to the next day. This may have a considerable impact on HO CDI rates, impacting reimbursement and hospital reputation. Future research is needed to remedy these delays. Until that time, use of order date and time should be considered for inclusion into NHSN Lab ID event definitions.

Interventions to Reduce the Incidence of Hospital-Onset Clostridium difficile Infection: An Agent-Based Modeling Approach to Evaluate Clinical Effectiveness in Adult Acute Care Hospitals.

Despite intensified efforts to reduce hospital-onset Clostridium difficile infection (HO-CDI), its clinical and economic impacts continue to worsen. Many institutions have adopted bundled interventions that vary considerably in composition, strength of evidence, and effectiveness. Considerable gaps remain in our knowledge of intervention effectiveness and disease transmission, which hinders HO-CDI prevention. We developed an agent-based model of C. difficile transmission in a 200-bed adult hospital using studies from the literature, supplemented with primary data collection. The model includes an environmental component and 4 distinct agent types: patients, visitors, nurses, and physicians. We used the model to evaluate the comparative clinical effectiveness of 9 single interventions and 8 multiple-intervention bundles at reducing HO-CDI and asymptomatic C. difficile colonization. Daily cleaning with sporicidal disinfectant and C. difficile screening at admission were the most effective single-intervention strategies, reducing HO-CDI by 68.9% and 35.7%, respectively (both P < .001). Combining these interventions into a 2-intervention bundle reduced HO-CDI by 82.3% and asymptomatic hospital-onset colonization by 90.6% (both, P < .001). Adding patient hand hygiene to healthcare worker hand hygiene reduced HO-CDI rates an additional 7.9%. Visitor hand hygiene and contact precaution interventions did not reduce HO-CDI, compared with baseline. Excluding those strategies, healthcare worker contact precautions were the least effective intervention at reducing hospital-onset colonization and infection. Identifying and managing the vast hospital reservoir of asymptomatic C. difficile by screening and daily cleaning with sporicidal disinfectant are high-yield strategies. These findings provide much-needed data regarding which interventions to prioritize for optimal C. difficile control.

Association of Hospital-Onset Clostridium difficile Infection Rates and Antibiotic Use in US Acute Care Hospitals, 2006–2012: An Ecologic Analysis

BackgroundThis study investigated the association between facility-level rates of hospital-onset CDI (HO-CDI) and inpatient antibiotic use (AU) in a large group of U.S. acute care hospitals over a 7-year period.MethodsWe used adult discharge and antibiotic use data from 552 acute care hospitals participating in the Truven Health MarketScan Hospital Database from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2012 to determine facility-level CDI rates and AU. HO-CDI was defined as a discharge with a secondary ICD-9-CM diagnosis code for CDI (008.45) and inpatient treatment with metronidazole or oral vancomycin. The relationship between facility-level HO-CDI (HO-CDI per 10,000 patient-days (PD)) and AU (days of therapy (DOT) per 1,000 PD) was examined through multivariate general estimating equation models that accounted for the correlation between annual HO-CDI rates within a hospital. The models controlled for hospital characteristics and a facility-level rate of community-onset CDI (CO-CDI), defined as a discharge with a primary ICD-9-CM code for CDI and inpatient treatment.ResultsDuring 2006 to 2012, the mean HO-CDI rate was 11 per 10,000 PD (interquartile range (IQR): 5.7–14.7) and mean AU was 811 DOT/1,000 PD (IQR: 710–932). After controlling for facility-level CO-CDI and other hospital characteristics, overall AU was significantly associated with facility-level HO-CDI rate; for every 50 DOT/1,000 PD increase in AU, there was a 4.4% increase in the HO-CDI rate. Similarly, the only antibiotic classes significantly associated with HO-CDI were third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins (P < 0.0001) and carbapenems (P = 0.0011) with respective increases of 2.1% and 2.4% of HO-CDI per 10 DOT/1,000 PD increase. Fluoroquinolones and β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations were not significantly associated with HO-CDI.ConclusionIn this ecologic analysis of over 500 hospitals, overall antibiotic use was associated with increased rates of HO-CDI. In contrast to recent patient-level analyses in the United States and national observations in England, only third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins and carbapenems were associated with HO-CDI.DisclosuresAll authors: No reported disclosures.

The Effect of a Piperacillin/Tazobactam Shortage on Antimicrobial Prescribing and Clostridium difficile Risk in 88 US Medical Centers.

Anti-infective shortages are a pervasive problem in the United States. The objective of this study was to identify any associations between changes in prescribing of antibiotics that have a high risk for CDI during a piperacillin/tazobactam (PIP/TAZO) shortage and hospital-onset Clostridium difficile infection (HO-CDI) risk in 88 US medical centers. We analyzed electronically captured microbiology and antibiotic use data from a network of US hospitals from July 2014 through June 2016. The primary outcome was HO-CDI rate and the secondary outcome was changes in antibiotic usage. We fit a Poisson model to estimate the risk of HO-CDI associated with PIP/TAZO shortage that were associated with increased high-risk antibiotic use while controlling for hospital characteristics. A total of 88 hospitals experienced PIP/TAZO shortage and 72 of them experienced a shift toward increased use of high-risk antibiotics during the shortage period. The adjusted relative risk (RR) of HO-CDI for hospitals experiencing a PIP/TAZO shortage was 1.03 (95% confidence interval [CI], .85-1.26; P = .73). The adjusted RR of HO-CDI for hospitals that both experienced a shortage and also showed a shift toward increased use of high-risk antibiotics was 1.30 (95% CI, 1.03-1.64; P < .05). Hospitals that experienced a PIP/TAZO shortage and responded to that shortage by shifting antibiotic usage toward antibiotics traditionally known to place patients at greater risk for CDI experienced greater HO-CDI rates; this highlights an important adverse effect of the PIP/TAZO shortage and the importance of antibiotic stewardship when mitigating drug shortages.

Investigation of a cluster of Clostridium difficile infections in a pediatric oncology setting

We investigated an increase in Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) among pediatric oncology patients. CDI cases were defined as first C difficile positive stool tests between December 1, 2010, and September 6, 2012, in pediatric oncology patients receiving inpatient or outpatient care at a single hospital. A case-control study was performed to identify CDI risk factors, infection prevention and antimicrobial prescribing practices were assessed, and environmental sampling was conducted. Available isolates were strain-typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. An increase in hospital-onset CDI cases was observed from June-August 2012. Independent risk factors for CDI included hospitalization in the bone marrow transplant ward and exposure to computerized tomography scanning or cefepime in the prior 12weeks. Cefepime use increased beginning in late 2011, reflecting a practice change for patients with neutropenic fever. There were 13 distinct strain types among 22 available isolates. Hospital-onset CDI rates decreased to near-baseline levels with enhanced infection prevention measures, including environmental cleaning and prolonged contact isolation. C difficile strain diversity associated with a cluster of CDI among pediatric oncology patients suggests a need for greater understanding of modes and sources of transmission and strategies to reduce patient susceptibility to CDI. Further research is needed on the risk of CDI with cefepime and its use as primary empirical treatment for neutropenic fever.

Lessons learned from implementing Clostridium difficile-focused antibiotic stewardship interventions.

To determine whether controlling the prescription of targeted antibiotics would translate to a measurable reduction in hospital-onset Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) rates. A multicenter before-and-after intervention comparative study. Ten medical centers in the greater New York region. Intervention group comprised of 6 facilities with early antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs). The 4 facilities without ASPs made up the nonintervention group. Intervention facilities identified target antibiotics using case-control studies and implemented ASP-based strategies to control their use. Pre- and postintervention hospital-onset CDI rates and antibiotic consumption were compared for a 20-month period from June 2010 to January 2012. Antibiotic usage was compared using defined daily dose, days of therapy, and number of courses prescribed. Comparisons used bivariate and regression techniques. Intervention facilities identified piperacillin/tazobactam, fluoroquinolones, or cefepime (odds ratio, 2.0-9.8 in CDI case patients compared with those without CDI) as intervention targets and selected several interventions (all included a component of audit and feedback). Varying degrees of success were observed in reducing antibiotic consumption over time. Total target antibiotic use significantly decreased (P < .05) when measured by days of therapy and number of courses but not by defined daily dose. Intravenous moxifloxacin and oral ciprofloxacin use showed significant reduction when measured by defined daily dose and days of therapy (P ≤ .01). Number of courses with all forms of these antibiotics was reduced (P < .005). Intervention hospitals reported fewer hospital-onset CDI cases (2.8 rate point difference) compared with nonintervention hospitals; however, we were unable to show statistically significant decreases in aggregate hospital-onset CDI either between intervention and nonintervention groups or within the intervention group over time. Although decreases in target antibiotic consumption did not translate into reductions of hospital-onset CDI in this study, many valuable lessons (including implementation strategies and antibiotic consumption measures) were learned. The findings can inform potential policy decisions regarding incorporating control of CDI and ASP as healthcare quality measures.

Lessons Learned from Implementing Clostridium difficile-Focused Antibiotic Stewardship Interventions

Objective.To determine whether controlling the prescription of targeted antibiotics would translate to a measurable reduction in hospital-onset Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) rates.Design.A multicenter before-and-after intervention comparative study.Setting/Participants.Ten medical centers in the greater New York region. Intervention group comprised of 6 facilities with early antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs). The 4 facilities without ASPs made up the nonintervention group.Interventions/Methods.Intervention facilities identified target antibiotics using case-control studies and implemented ASP-based strategies to control their use. Pre- and postintervention hospital-onset CDI rates and antibiotic consumption were compared for a 20-month period from June 2010 to January 2012. Antibiotic usage was compared using defined daily dose, days of therapy, and number of courses prescribed. Comparisons used bivariate and regression techniques.Results.Intervention facilities identified piperacillin/tazobactam, fluoroquinolones, or cefepime (odds ratio, 2.0-9.8 in CDI case patients compared with those without CDI) as intervention targets and selected several interventions (all included a component of audit and feedback). Varying degrees of success were observed in reducing antibiotic consumption over time. Total target antibiotic use significantly decreased (P &lt; .05) when measured by days of therapy and number of courses but not by defined daily dose. Intravenous moxifloxacin and oral ciprofloxacin use showed significant reduction when measured by defined daily dose and days of therapy (P ≤ .01). Number of courses with all forms of these antibiotics was reduced (P ≤ .005). Intervention hospitals reported fewer hospital-onset CDI cases (2.8 rate point difference) compared with nonintervention hospitals; however, we were unable to show statistically significant decreases in aggregate hospital-onset CDI either between intervention and nonintervention groups or within the intervention group over time.Conclusions.Although decreases in target antibiotic consumption did not translate into reductions of hospital-onset CDI in this study, many valuable lessons (including implementation strategies and antibiotic consumption measures) were learned. The findings can inform potential policy decisions regarding incorporating control of CDI and ASP as healthcare quality measures.

Using Electronic Health Information to Risk-Stratify Rates of Clostridium difficile Infection in US Hospitals

Expanding hospitalized patients' risk stratification for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is important for improving patient safety. We applied definitions for hospital-onset (HO) and community-onset (CO) CDI to electronic data from 85 hospitals between January 2007 and June 2008 to identify factors associated with higher HO CDI rates. Nonrecurrent CDI cases were identified among adult (≥ 18-year-old) inpatients by a positive C. difficile toxin assay result more than 8 weeks after any previous positive result. Case categories included HO, CO-hospital associated (CO-HA), CO-indeterminate hospital association (CO-IN), and CO-non-hospital associated (CO-NHA). C. difficile testing intensity (CDTI) was defined as the total number of C. difficile tests performed, normalized to the number of patients with at least 1 C. difficile toxin test recorded. We calculated both the incidence density and the prevalence of CDI where appropriate. We fitted a multivariable Poisson model to identify factors associated with higher HO CDI rates. Among 1,351,156 unique patients with 2,022,213 admissions, 9,803 cases of CDI were identified; of these, 50.6% were HO, 17.4% were CO-HA, 9.0% were CO-IN, and 23.0% were CO-NHA. The incidence density of HO was 6.3 per 10,000 patient-days. The prevalence of CO CDI on admission was, per 10,000 admissions, 8.4 for CO-HA, 4.4 for CO-IN, and 11.1 for CO-NHA. Factors associated (P < .0001) with higher HO CDI rates included older age, higher CO-NHA prevalence on admission, and increased CDTI. Electronic health information can be leveraged to risk-stratify HO CDI rates by patient age and CO-NHA prevalence on admission. Hospitals should optimize diagnostic testing to improve patient care and measured CDI rates.