Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 10, 2025
Cefoperazone-treated Mouse Model of Clinically-relevant Clostridium difficile Strain R20291
Published on: December 10, 2016
Distribution and risk factor analysis for Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea among hospitalized children over
Chunna Zhao1, Shu Guo1, Xiaoyun Jia1
1Department of Gastroenterology Beijing Children' s Hospital Faculty of Digestive Diseases Capital Medical University National Clinical Research Center f or Digestive Diseases Beijing 100045 China.
Insights
Hospitalization for 10 days or more before diarrhea onset is a key risk factor for Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) in children with antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD). This finding is crucial for preventing severe infections in pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Gastroenterology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) is common in children, with Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) being a severe form.
- Risk factors for pediatric CDAD remain incompletely understood, necessitating further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of CDAD among hospitalized children experiencing AAD.
- To identify significant risk factors associated with CDAD in this pediatric population.
Main Methods:
- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect C. difficile pathogenic genes (tcdA, tcdB) in stool samples from 197 children with AAD.
- Children positive for tcdA or tcdB were classified into the CDAD group; others formed the non-CDAD group.
Main Results:
- The CDAD rate was 42.6% (84/197) among children with AAD.
- Univariate analysis identified duration of antibiotic therapy, length of hospitalization before diarrhea, and gastrointestinal operations as significant risk factors.
- Multivariate analysis confirmed hospitalization for ≥ 10 days prior to diarrhea as an independent risk factor.
Conclusions:
- Prolonged hospitalization (≥ 10 days) before diarrhea onset is a significant independent risk factor for developing CDAD in pediatric patients with AAD.
- These findings can inform preventative strategies in hospitalized children receiving antibiotics.
Importance:
Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) is a severe type of antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD). However, the risk factors for CDAD in children with AAD have not yet been clarified.
Objective:
To investigate the distribution and risk factors for CDAD among hospitalized children in Beijing Children's Hospital.
Methods:
Stool samples from 197 children with AAD were tested for the C. difficile pathogenic genes (tcdA, tcdB, tcdC, tcdD, tcdE, cdtA, and cdtB) using polymerase chain reaction between January 2011 and January 2014. Children who tested positive for tcdA or tcdB were included in the CDAD group, and those remaining comprised the non-CDAD group.
Results:
The rate of CDAD among the 197 children with AAD was 42.6% (84/197). The age distribution was 1-15.6 years, among which the majority of children (54.8%, 46/84) were aged 1-4 years. Differences in the CDAD-positive rates among AAD children belonging to different age groups were not statistically significant. Univariate analysis revealed that the duration of antibiotic therapy, the length of hospitalization prior to diarrhea, and gastrointestinal tract operations were significant risk factors (P < 0.05). Children with CDAD underwent more antibiotic therapy and had longer periods of hospitalization prior to diarrhea onset than children in the non-CDAD group. Using multivariate regression analysis, hospitalization for ≥ 10 days prior to diarrhea was found to be an independent risk factor for CDAD.
Interpretation:
This study revealed that the length of hospitalization (≥ 10 days) prior to diarrhea was an independent risk factor for CDAD in children with AAD.
More Related Videos
12:58A Protocol to Characterize the Morphological Changes of Clostridium difficile in Response to Antibiotic Treatment
Published on: May 25, 2017
09:12A Protein Microarray Assay for Serological Determination of Antigen-specific Antibody Responses Following Clostridium difficile Infection
Published on: June 15, 2018
Related Concept Videos
01:26Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin...
01:18Drugs Affecting GI Tract Motility: Antimicrobials as Antidiarrheal Agents
01:17Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution
01:23Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption
01:29Drug Dosing: Infants and Children
01:27Inflammatory Bowel Disease I: Ulcerative Colitis
Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, encompasses a group of disorders characterized by chronic inflammation or ulceration of the gastrointestinal tract.
Risk Factors
The exact cause of IBD remains unclear, although it is believed to be due to a mix of genetic, environmental, microbial, and immune factors. Genetic factors are significant in determining susceptibility to IBD, with family history being a critical risk factor. Individuals with a first-degree relative who has IBD are at...