Study of Clostridium difficile in Healthy Elderly People
Author Information
Author(s): Miyajima Fabio, Roberts Paul, Swale Andrew, Price Valerie, Jones Maureen, Horan Michael, Beeching Nicholas, Brazier Jonathan, Parry Christopher, Pendleton Neil, Pirmohamed Munir
Primary Institution: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre, Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust, Liverpool, United Kingdom
Hypothesis
What is the prevalence of Clostridium difficile in healthy elderly individuals living in the community?
Conclusion
The study found a low carriage rate of Clostridium difficile among healthy elderly individuals living outside of long-term care facilities.
Supporting Evidence
- Only 4% of the 149 samples tested positive for C.difficile.
- No individuals with positive cultures had a history of CDI or antibiotic use in the previous 3 months.
- The study is the first to assess C.difficile in healthy elderly individuals outside of long-term care facilities.
Takeaway
Researchers looked at poop samples from older people to see if they had a germ called Clostridium difficile, and they found it in only a few of them.
Methodology
Faecal samples from 149 healthy elderly volunteers were screened for C.difficile using culture methods and immunoassays.
Potential Biases
Higher enrollment rates of females may introduce bias due to selective dropout of males.
Limitations
The study lacked follow-up to distinguish transient carriage from longer-term colonization.
Participant Demographics
Participants were mostly female (79.9%) with a median age of 81 years.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% CI 0.89–4.70
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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