title: [Change of Clostridium difficile colitis during recent 10 years in Korea].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our clinical experience and recent published literatures suggest that Clostridium difficile colitis (CDC) has become more common and potentially more pathogenic in recent years. The aim of study was to evaluate changes in the epidemiological features of CDC in hospitalized patients in Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed all patients of CDC diagnosed at Kangnam St. Mary Hospital from 1998 to 2007. CDC was defined as having a positive C. difficile cytotoxicity assay, or endoscopic or pathologic evidence of CDC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 189 cases (male 73, female 116, mean age 63.3 years) of CDC were diagnosed during the study period. The prevalence of CDC increased from 1.9/10,000 patient admissions in 1998-1999 to 8.82/10,000 patient admissions in 2006-2007. One hundred sixty three indication for cases (86.2%) of patients identified a prior use of antibiotics in the 2 months preceding diagnosis. The most common antibiotic use was prophylactic use during perioperational period (33.3%) followed by pneumonia (23.3%). The overall response rate to initial antibiotics was 82.7%. One hundred seventy two (91%) patients were initially treated with metronidazole. The response rate was 84.3%. All patients with initial failure to metronidazole were successfully treated by vancomycin. The response rate of vancomycin as first treatment was 80%. Three deaths were associated with CDC despite the use of combination of metronidazole and vancomycin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of CDC in hospitalized patients in Korea significantly increased from 1998 to 2007.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seocho-gu, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yune Jeong
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Myung Gyu
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Chul Hyun
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Woong Ryong
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Hyun Sun
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Hye Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Kwan Woo
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Jae Hyuck
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Yu Kyung
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Jae Myung
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Sang Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: In Sik
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016360:Clostridioides difficile; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D008795:Metronidazole; D014640:Vancomycin