Clostridium difficile Infection in Patients Discharged from US Short-stay Hospitals, 1996–2003

摘要

US hospital discharges for which Clostridium difficile–associated disease (CDAD) was listed as any diagnosisdoubled from 82,000 (95% confidence interval [CI]71,000–94,000) or 31/100,000 population in 1996 to178,000 (95% CI 151,000–205,000) or 61/100,000 in 2003;this increase was significant between 2000 and 2003(slope of linear trend 9.48; 95% CI 6.16–12.80, p = 0.01).The overall rate during this period was severalfold higher inpersons >65 years of age (228/100,000) than in the agegroup with the next highest rate, 45–64 years (40/100,000;p<0.001). CDAD appears to be increasing rapidly in theUnited States and is disproportionately affecting older per-sons. Clinicians should be aware of the increasing risk forCDAD and make efforts to control transmission of C. diffi-cile and prevent disease