Clostridium difficile epidemic outbreak in an oncology unit

Contributions to the knowledge of some peculiarities of C. difficile involvement in human pathology, nosocomial infections (NI) included.

This clinico-epidemiological and laboratory study included 14 patients admitted to the Medical Clinic of the Iasi Regional Cancer Institute with the diagnosis of C. difficile NI based on detection of toxins A and B in stool samples. The data were assessed and interpreted using an algorithm which revealed the peculiarities of C. difficile NI outbreak occurrence and evolution.

Of the 14 cases included in the study, 5 (35.8 %) had community-onset infections and 9 (64.3%) oncology unit-onset infections. The average hospital stay was 22 days. Immunocompromised condition and the use of antibiotics in the ciprofloxacin, colistin and cefotaxime group for 4 - 10 days were the main risk factors.

This epidemic C. difficile NI outbreak which affected immunocompromised patients with high susceptibility to infection, common finding in oncology care was brought under control by active preventive measures associated with concomitant antimicrobial therapy effective in C. difficile infections.