CLOSTRIDIUM-DIFFICILE ACQUISITION RATE AND ITS ROLE IN NOSOCOMIAL DIARRHEA AT A UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL IN TURKEY

Infection with Clostridium difficile can present with various clinical pictures ranging from an asymptomatic carrier state to pseudomembrano us colitis and plays an important part in the etiology of nosocomial d iarrhoea. To identify risk factors for C. difficile colonization and d iarrhoea in hospitalized subjects, patients admitted to a general medi cine ward at Marmara University hospital during a one year period were entered into the study. Of the 202 patients, nosocomial diarrhoea dev eloped in 45 (22.3%). Fourteen patients (6.9%) were colonized with C. difficile during their hospitalization period. Ten of the colonized pa tients (71.4%) developed diarrhoea and were found to be positive by to xin assay. Pseudomembranous colitis was confirmed endoscopically in 3 of the patients with diarrhoea. Administration of beta lactam agents s uch as ampicillin and cephalosporins; gastrointestinal manipulations a nd admission to the intensive care unit were found as major risk facto rs for C. difficile colonization.