Clostridium difficile in urology

The objective was to determine the incidence of Clostridium difficile infection in a UK urology ward from 2000 to 2005, and correlate and compare the data with other specialty wards and national figures.

Urology patients with a positive stool culture for C. difficile between 2000 and 2005 were identified from a hospital database. The medical records of these patients were reviewed and data such as antibiotic use, urological diagnosis and elective/emergency status of the patient were recorded and analysed. The number of C. difficile cases on an elderly care ward, an acute medical ward and an acute surgical ward were also recorded for this period. Data on the number of admissions and occupied bed-days on all 4 wards were compared.

There were 33 cases of C. difficile on the urology ward between 2000 and 2005. The incidence of this infection varied between 10.2 and 48.4 cases per 10,000 patient episodes (mean 21.0). There was a significant difference between the number of C. difficile cases per 1000 patient days between the urology ward and the acute medical ward (P = 0.002) and the elderly care ward (P = 0.03).

There is no evidence to suggest that there has been an increase in the incidence of C. difficile in a UK urology ward. The rates on the urology ward were lower than the national average, and significantly lower than those rates on an acute medical ward and an elderly care ward. There is a 0.21% chance of a patient testing positive for C. difficile during their stay on a urology ward.