Clinical Severity of Clostridium difficile PCR Ribotype 027
Author Information
Author(s): Morgan Oliver W., Rodrigues Boaventura, Elston Tony, Verlander Neville Q., Brown Derek F. J., Brazier Jonathan, Reacher Mark
Primary Institution: East of England Regional Epidemiology Unit, Health Protection Agency, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Hypothesis
Do patients with Clostridium difficile infections caused by ribotype 027 experience more severe disease than those with non-027 ribotypes?
Conclusion
The study found no evidence that ribotype 027 is more virulent than other PCR ribotypes.
Supporting Evidence
- 41% of patients had ribotype 027.
- Severe disease occurred in 24% of patients with ribotype 027.
- 30-day all-cause mortality during hospital admission was 21%.
- 86% of patients were prescribed antibiotics in the eight weeks before illness onset.
Takeaway
This study looked at patients with a type of bacteria that causes diarrhea and found that one specific type of this bacteria isn't actually worse than others.
Methodology
A case-case study comparing severity of C. difficile disease for patients with ribotype 027 versus non-027 ribotypes.
Potential Biases
Potential biases in sampling and reporting of cases could influence the perceived virulence of ribotype 027.
Limitations
Some data were missing, and the study was retrospective, which may affect the accuracy of the findings.
Participant Demographics
Median age was 83 years, with a range from 3 to 98 years; 44% were male.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% CI 13% to 37% for severe disease in ribotype 027 patients.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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