New Study Reveals the Impact of Clostridium difficile Infection (CDI) on the Health Service is Equivalent to an Additional 10,670 Bed Days a Year

VIENNA, April 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

CDI is one of the top ten hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) in European Hospitals^[1] and is estimated to be three times as deadly as MRSA^[2],[3]    

Data released at the 27^th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) 2017 demonstrate the impact of CDI on the health service amounts to 10,670 bed days over a year, the equivalent to a fully occupied 30 bed ward, with each CDI case costing approximately £7,500.^[4] In addition, the study conducted by the Scottish Healthcare Associated Infection Prevention Institute (SHAIPI), reveals that a sixth of patients cured of the initial CDI recur within three months and nearly one third of those have a second recurrence within a year.^[4] The SHAIPI CDI study investigated the clinical outcomes following hospitalisation of patients with CDI in Scotland and consisted of two analyses; the first analysis aimed to understand the impact of the infection;^[4] the second investigated clinical outcomes in community associated CDI (CA-CDI) and hospital associated CDI (HA-CDI).^[5]

CDI costs healthcare services approximately €3 billion across Europe each year.^[6]  Recurrence of CDI occurs in up to 25% of patients within 30 days of initial treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics^[7],[8],[9] and patients with one recurrence have an estimated 40% risk of a further episode.^[10] Recurrent CDI is associated with increased mortality rates and longer hospital stays.^[11],[12] CDI is more common in those taking antibiotics, the elderly, transplant patients, those with underlying diseases and hospital patients.^{[13],[14],[15],[16],[17]}

Professor Alistair Leanord, Consultant Microbiologist, University of Glasgow, commented, "We have seen large reductions in CDI in the UK over the last decade, however, there has been little change in the rates of recurrence and death as a result of Clostridium difficile infection. This study shows that patients with CDI, whether community or hospital associated, have a doubling of mortality, and a longer length of stay with a significant cost to the NHS. We now have a clearer understanding of the national burden of CDI in terms of recurrences, deaths, cost to the healthcare service and the increasing importance of community acquisition of infection. This will allow us to target future interventions in a more focused, cost effective manner to improve patients' care."