Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 15, 2026
Fecal Microbiota Transplantation via Colonoscopy for Recurrent C. difficile Infection
Published on: December 8, 2014
Attributable Healthcare Resource Utilization and Costs for Patients With Primary and Recurrent Clostridium difficile
Dongmu Zhang1, Vimalanand S Prabhu1, Stephen W Marcella1
1Center for Observational and Real-World Evidence, Merck & Co, Inc, Kenilworth, New Jersey.
Background:
The economic burden of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), the leading cause of nosocomial infectious diarrhea, is not well understood. The objective of this study was to estimate the healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and costs attributable to primary CDI and recurrent CDI (rCDI).
Methods:
This is a database (MarketScan) study. Patients without CDI were matched 1:1 by propensity score to those with primary CDI but no recurrences to obtain HCRU and costs attributable to primary CDI. Patients with primary CDI but no recurrences were matched 1:1 by propensity score to those with primary CDI plus 1 recurrence in order to obtain HCRU and costs attributable to rCDI. Adjusted estimates for incremental cumulative hospitalized days and healthcare costs over a 6-month follow-up period were obtained by generalized linear models with a Poisson or gamma distribution and a log link. Bootstrapping was used to obtain 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
Results:
A total of 55504 eligible CDI patients were identified. Approximately 25% of these CDI patients had rCDI. The cumulative hospitalized days attributable to primary CDI and rCDI over the 6-month follow-up period were 5.20 days (95% CI, 5.01-5.39) and 1.95 days (95% CI, 1.48-2.43), respectively. The healthcare costs attributable to primary CDI and rCDI over the 6-month follow-up period were $24205 (95% CI, $23436-$25013) and $10580 (95% CI, $8849-$12446), respectively.
Conclusions:
The HCRU and costs attributable to primary CDI and rCDI are quite substantial. It is necessary to reduce the burden of CDI, especially rCDI.
More Related Videos
09:12A Protein Microarray Assay for Serological Determination of Antigen-specific Antibody Responses Following Clostridium difficile Infection
Published on: June 15, 2018
12:58A Protocol to Characterize the Morphological Changes of Clostridium difficile in Response to Antibiotic Treatment
Published on: May 25, 2017
Related Concept Videos
01:30Primary Healthcare Services
In 1978, international leaders convened in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan, for what would be a pivotal event in global health. The Alma-Ata Declaration was the first to call...
01:22Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
00:56Attribution Theory
01:26Healthcare Associated Infections I: Iatrogenic, Exogenic and Endogenic
HAIs significantly increase the cost of health care. Extended stays in healthcare institutions, increased disability, increased costs of medications, including specialized antibiotics, and prolonged recovery times add to the patient's expenses and the healthcare institution and funding bodies.
01:14Fundamental Attribution Error
01:26Attribution