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Updated: May 21, 2026

Cefoperazone-treated Mouse Model of Clinically-relevant Clostridium difficile Strain R20291
Published on: December 10, 2016
Clinical risk factors for Clostridium difficile-associated diseases
Sung Min Cho1, Jae Joon Lee, Hee Jung Yoon
1Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Eulji University Medical Center, 1306 Dunsandong, Seogu, Daejeon, Korea.
Identifying clinical risk factors for Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) is crucial. Key factors include chronic lung disease, ileus, ICU stay, cephalosporin use, surgery, and long-term care facility stays.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) poses a significant healthcare challenge.
- Accurate identification of risk factors for C. difficile-associated disease (CDAD) is essential for effective prevention and management strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify significant clinical risk factors associated with CDAD in a Korean patient population.
- To provide data that can inform clinical practice and public health initiatives.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study was conducted with 93 CDAD patients and 186 matched controls.
- Data on patient demographics, medical history, and treatment exposures were collected and analyzed.
- Statistical analysis, including odds ratios and confidence intervals, was used to determine significant associations.
Main Results:
- Significant risk factors for CDAD included chronic lung diseases (OR 3.41), ileus (OR 10.05), intensive care unit (ICU) stay (OR 9.79), cephalosporin use (OR 3.30), history of surgery (OR 10.89), and long-term care facility stay (OR 14.90).
- All identified factors showed statistically significant associations with CDAD (p < 0.05).
Conclusions:
- Clinical awareness of identified risk factors is critical for timely diagnosis and management of CDAD.
- Further national surveillance and multicenter studies are recommended.
- The potential role of a C. difficile vaccine warrants investigation.
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