Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2025

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation via Colonoscopy for Recurrent C. difficile Infection
Published on: December 8, 2014
Clostridioides difficile colonization and the frequency of subsequent treatment for C. difficile infection in
Erica L MacKenzie1, Cynthia Murillo2, Allison H Bartlett3
1Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases & Global Health, The University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
Objective:
To determine risk factors for Clostridioides difficile colonization and C. difficile infection (CDI) among patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).
Design:
Retrospective observational cohort study.
Setting:
Tertiary-care facility.
Patients:
All adult patients admitted to an ICU from July 1, 2015, to November 6, 2019, who were tested for C. difficile colonization. Patients with CDI were excluded.
Methods:
Information was collected on patient demographics, comorbidities, laboratory results, and prescriptions. We defined C. difficile colonization as a positive nucleic acid amplification test for C. difficile up to 48 hours before or 24 hours after intensive care unit (ICU) admission without evidence of active infection. We defined active infection as the receipt of an antibiotic whose only indication is the treatment of CDI. The primary outcome measure was the development of CDI up to 30 days after ICU admission. Logistic regression was used to model associations between clinical variables and the development of CDI.
Results:
The overall C. difficile colonization rate was 4% and the overall CDI rate was 2%. Risk factors for the development of CDI included C. difficile colonization (aOR, 13.3; 95% CI, 8.3-21.3; P < .0001), increased ICU length of stay (aOR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.03-1.05; P < .0001), and a history of inflammatory bowel disease (aOR, 3.8; 95% CI, 1.3-11.1; P = .02). Receipt of any antibiotic during the ICU stay was associated with a borderline increased odds of CDI (aOR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.0-3.4; P = .05).
Conclusion:
C. difficile colonization is associated with the development of CDI among ICU patients.
Related Concept Videos
Endocarditis III: Medical Management
Transmission-based Precautions I: Contact, Enteric, and Droplets
Contact Precautions:
Contact precautions are the measures taken to prevent the transmission of infectious agents, especially epidemiologically important microorganisms such as MRSA or influenza, primarily transmitted through direct or indirect contact with an...
Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
Cleaning, Sterilization, and Disinfection
Cleaning
The cleaning process usually involves using water with detergents or enzymatic cleaner and removing foreign material from objects and surfaces, including organic material such as body fluids or inorganic material like soil. Cleaning is performed before high-level disinfection and sterilization because foreign materials on the cover of the devices interfere with process...
Healthcare 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.
Acute Pyelonephritis II: Diagnostic Studies and Management

