Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea and chronic renal insufficiency.
BACKGROUND
Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) is a common cause of mortality and morbidity in hospitalized patients. Some case reports have implicated renal failure as a risk factor for CDAD. The aim of this study was to assess whether chronic renal insufficiency is a risk factor for CDAD and whether it increases mortality and morbidity.


METHODS
We reviewed charts of 385 patients with diarrhea for CDAD, chronic renal insufficiency, mortality, and recurrence of CDAD.


RESULTS
Seventy-seven patients had infection due to C difficile. There was no difference in the chronic renal insufficiency, mortality, and other comorbid conditions between patients who had C difficile infection and those who did not. The patients with CDAD and chronic renal insufficiency had significantly higher mortality and recurrence of CDAD than patients without chronic renal insufficiency.


CONCLUSIONS
Chronic renal insufficiency is not a risk factor for CDAD, but its presence with CDAD increases mortality and recurrence of CDAD.
Yousuf
Khurshid
K
Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the Deaprtment of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton Ohio, USA.
Saklayen
Mohammad G
MG
Markert
Ronald J
RJ
Barde
Christopher J
CJ
Gopalswamy
Narasimh
N
D016360:Clostridioides difficile; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors