title: Association of Clostridium difficile infection in hospital mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) contributed to hospital mortality and whether the correlation between intensive care units (ICUs) and surgical wards in hospital CDI risk still remain controversial.
  
  
  METHODS
  By meta-analysis, 12 eligible studies involving 8,509 cases and 247,285 controls were identified via PubMed and Embase.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CDI patients had a higher risk of hospital mortality than non-CDI patients (odds ratio [OR], 1.899; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.269-2.840), especially in 30-day mortality (OR, 2.521; 95% CI, 1.800-3.531). No correlation was found between hospital CDI and Charlson comorbidity index (OR, 0.830; 95% CI, 0.559-1.231). Patients treated in the ICU have an increased risk of hospital CDI (OR, 1.820; 95% CI, 1.161-2.851). However, the risk of CDI in patients who used to have surgery in surgical wards was not different to patients in the other departments (OR, 1.054; 95% CI, 0.838-1.325). Moreover, CDI patients in studies from the most recent 5 years have a higher risk of hospital mortality (OR, 2.171; 95% CI, 1.426-3.304).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hospital CDI was associated with an increased risk of hospital mortality, especially in 30-day mortality. In addition, when compared with past years, CDI patients have a higher risk of hospital mortality in the most recent 5 years. Given the rapid dissemination of this organism worldwide, there is a need to aggressively develop and evaluate primary preventive strategies targeting CDI among hospitalized patients, especially in ICUs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Tianyi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Bangshun
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Yuqin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Qiwen
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Huiling
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Xian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address: sk_wang@njmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Shukui
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Yongxiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xia
mesh_terms: D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000401:mortality*; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D018570:Risk Assessment
keywords: Charlson comorbidity index; Clostridium difficile infection; Hospital mortality; Intensive care unit; Surgical wards