Clostridium difficile Colonization Before and After Hospitalization in Children

Abstract

Background: Beginning in the early 2000s, Clostridium difficile infection has become a major health problem in the United States, Canada, and in most European countries and has not only increased in incidence but also the severity. There are 2 conditions for the development of C. difficile infection: disruption of the normal gastrointestinal flora, and exogenous ingestion of the microorganism. We aimed to study C. difficile colonization in hospitalized children. We identified 2 issues: (1) the relationship between risks before hospital admission and colonization on the first day of hospitalization and (2) the effect of the factors that patients are exposed to during hospitalization on the colonization status at discharge.