[Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea--a growing problem in geriatric care].
From 1994 to 1998 the incidence of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea (CDAD) in the Department of Geriatric Medicine, Huddinge University Hospital increased from 0.5% to 2.2% of all admissions. Corresponding figures for the whole hospital were 0.3% and 0.6%, respectively. The increase in CDAD at the Department of Geriatric Medicine was parallel with a more than doubled consumption of antibiotics. All geriatric patients with CDAD had been treated with antibiotics before onset of diarrhoea. Out of the antibiotic prescriptions 48% were a cephalosporin (mainly cefuroxim). In a matched reference group of geriatric patients 51% had been treated with antibiotics during the hospital stay. The patients with CDAD spent 27 +/- 14 days in hospital as compared to 13 +/- 9 days (P < 0.05) in the reference population.
Geriatriska kliniken, Huddinge Universitetssjukhus, Huddinge. tommy.cederholm@ger.hs.sll.se
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Cederholm
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Larsson
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Ericsson
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KE
Myrbäck
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U
Hellgren
D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004363:Drug Utilization; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005851:Geriatric Nursing / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007902:Length of Stay; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents