[Changes in the epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection during 2005-2014 in Salamanca, Spain]

To know the most relevant epidemiological features of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) between 2005- 2014 in the province of Salamanca (Spain).

Descriptive cross-sectional study carried out through review of the clinical microbiologic records at Complejo Asistencial Universitario de Salamanca. Detection was performed according to standard methodology.

2.6% of stool samples analyzed for detection of C. difficile toxins (9,103) were positive. The average prevalence was 6.8 cases per 100,000 people per year. The mean age was 65 ± 21.4 years and the median 70 years. 59% of cases occurred in patients over 64 years, with an average prevalence of 16.5 (4 times higher than the 15-64 group). Most cases (86.4%) occurred in hospitalized patients, and the group of over 64 had the highest percentage of hospital CDI, with 55%.

A significant increase in the number of requests and in the prevalence of CDI over the decade studied is observed, and prevalence rates were significantly lower than those of other studies. The percentage of CDI increased significantly in both inpatient and community. Age and hospitaliza-tion were risk factors for developing CDI. After the introduc-ion of a molecular detection technique in 2014, the prevalence increased, being 2.5 times higher than 2013.