C Difficile Infection Risk Higher in Patients With IBD

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with increased risk of Clostridium difficile infections (CDIs), and exposure to corticosteroids, hospitalizations, shorter duration of IBD, and higher comorbidities were associated with a higher risk of CDIs, according to the results of a recent study.

In order to determine the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes after CDI in patients with IBD, researchers conducted an analysis of data from individuals included in the University of Manitoba IBD Epidemiology Database and Manitoba Health CDI databases.
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Overall, individuals with IBD had a 4.8-fold increased risk of CDI compared with individuals without IBD, with no differences observed between ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease. No increase in CDI incidence over the study duration was observed. Exposure to corticosteroids, infliximab or adalimumab, metronidazole, hospitalizations, higher ambulatory care visits, shorter duration of IBD, and higher comorbidities were all associated with higher risk of CDI in individuals with IBD.

Lower mortality following CDI was observed among individuals with IBD compared with those without IBD.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Singh H, Nugent Z, Yu BN, et al. Higher incidence of Clostridium difficile infection among individuals with inflammatory bowel disease. Gastro. 2017;153(2):430-438.e2.