[Diarrhea associated with Clostridium difficile: experience at a secondary hospital].
OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to know the incidence, clinical profile, evolution and mortality of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea.


METHODS
Retrospective study. Inpatients were included who had a positive toxin on stools or a diagnostic colonoscopy (pseudomembranous colitis) after ruling out other causes (n=113).


RESULTS
We observed a growing annual incidence (1.05, 1.7, and 2.6 per 1000 admissions in 1999, 2000 and 2001, respectively). Hyponatremia (OR=5.16) and vomiting (OR=3.09) were found to be worse-prognosis factors. Hyponatremia (OR=2.72) and chronic renal disease (OR=4.45) increased the mortality risk.


CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of C. difficile-associated diarrhea is growing, probably in relation to increased clinical suspicion, wide antibiotics utilization, and old age of inpatients. Hyponatremia could be a predictive factor of both illness and worse-prognosis.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016360:Clostridioides difficile; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies