Clostridium difficile Infection in Trauma, Surgery, and Medical Patients Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) causes significant morbidity and mortality rates, especially for patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Data comparing trauma and surgery patients with CDI in the ICU with medical patients with CDI in the ICU are limited.

In a single-center study, we analyzed retrospective data from 25 trauma patients and 13 surgery patients aged 18 years or older who had CDI and had been admitted to the ICU. A comparison group of 156 medical patients aged 18 years or greater who had CDI and were admitted to the ICU also was identified.

The trauma/surgery patients had a significantly higher mean number of ventilator days (13.5 ± 9.3 vs. 7.3 ± 7.2; p < 0.0004), Foley catheter days (11.9 ± 6.8 vs. 8.0 ± 7.9; p = 0.005), mean ICU length of stay (LOS) (12.34 ± 9.7 vs. 5.9 ± 5.9 days; p < 0.0003), and mean total LOS (16 ± 9.3 vs. 10.7 ± 8.4 days; p = 0.0008). However, the medical group had a significantly higher mean number of vasopressor days (2.07 ± 3.51) than the trauma/surgery group (0.58 ± 1.55; p < 0.0001). The overall survival rate was significantly higher in the trauma/surgery group than in the medical group (100% vs. 81%, respectively; p = 0.003). A higher percentage of patients in the trauma/surgery group received piperacillin/tazobactam before the diagnosis of CDI than the medical patients (58% vs. 37%, respectively; p = 0.02). The number of days that antibiotics were given prior to the development of CDI was greater in the trauma/surgery group than in the medical group (10.3 ± 6.7 vs. 7.6 ± 7.3 days; p = 0.04). Multiple logistic regression models determined ICU LOS (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.27 days; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13-1.41), the presence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (aOR 3.44; 95% CI 1.19-9.95), and piperacillin/tazobactam use (aOR 3.27; 95% CI 1.24-8.65) to be positively associated with CDI in the trauma/surgery group compared with the medical patients.

Longer ICU stay, receipt of piperacillin/tazobactam, and having COPD were positively associated with CDI in trauma/surgery patients compared with medical patients. These findings suggest further consideration of the possibility of CDI should be given to patients admitted the surgical ICU for an extended period of time, receiving piperacillin/tazobactam, or having COPD. Additional evaluation of these factors in a larger patient sample is warranted.