title: Is Clostridium difficile infection an increasingly common severe disease in adult intensive care units? A 10-year experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite the high concentration of patients with known risk factors for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in intensive care units (ICUs), data on ICU patients are scarce. The aim of this study was describe the incidence, clinical characteristics, and evolution of CDI in critically ill patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 2003 to 2012, adult patients admitted to an ICU (A-ICU) and positive for CDI were included and classified as follows: pre-ICU, if the positive sample was obtained within ±3 days of ICU admission; in-ICU, if obtained after 3 days of ICU admission and up to 3 days after ICU discharge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We recorded 4095 CDI episodes, of which 328 were A-ICU (8%). Episodes of A-ICU decreased from 19.4 to 8.7 per 10000 ICU days of stay (P < .0001). Most A-ICU CDIs (66.3%) were mild to moderate. Pre-ICU episodes accounted for 16.2% and were more severe complicated than in-ICU episodes (11% vs 0%; P = .020). Overall mortality was 28.6%, and CDI-attributable mortality was only 3%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of A-ICU CDI has decreased steadily over the last 10 years. A significant proportion of A-ICU CDI episodes are pre-ICU and are more severe than in-ICU CDI episodes. Most episodes of A-ICU CDI were nonsevere, with low associated mortality.
authors: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio, Marañón, Madrid, Spain; Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio, Marañón, Madrid, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES CD06/06/0058), Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Electronic address: emilio.bouza@gmail.com.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Bouza
authors: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio, Marañón, Madrid, Spain; Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio, Marañón, Madrid, Spain.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Rodríguez-Créixems
authors: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio, Marañón, Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio, Marañón, Madrid, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES CD06/06/0058), Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Alcalá
authors: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio, Marañón, Madrid, Spain; Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio, Marañón, Madrid, Spain.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Marín
authors: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio, Marañón, Madrid, Spain.
authors: V
authors: V
authors: De Egea
authors: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio, Marañón, Madrid, Spain.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Braojos
authors: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio, Marañón, Madrid, Spain; Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio, Marañón, Madrid, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES CD06/06/0058), Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Muñoz
authors: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio, Marañón, Madrid, Spain; Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio, Marañón, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: helenrei@hotmail.es.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Reigadas
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016360:Clostridioides difficile; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: Burden; C difficile; Critical care; Incidence; Intensive care