Clostridium difficile – still a problem among the XXI century in case of geriatic patient

• Main Authors: Agnieszka Ulatowska, Katarzyna Plagens-Rotman, Małgorzata Piskorz-Szymendera, Elżbieta Włodarczyk, Natalia Smolarek, Izabela Miechowicz, Andrzej Jóźwiak, Grażyna Bączyk
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Poznan University of Medical Sciences 2017-12-01
• Series: Journal of Medical Science
• Subjects: infection; Clostridium difficile; elderly person
• Online Access: https://jms.ump.edu.pl/index.php/JMS/article/view/257

Introduction. The disease caused by Clostridium difficile (CzcD - Clostridium difficile -associated disease) - was defined by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta in 2007 in order to standardize monitoring conditions of diarrhea caused by the bacterium Clostridium difficile [1]. It is a gram-positive bacterium forming part of intestinal flora that causes among others pseudomembranous colitis in elderly patients. Occur to the destruction of anaerobic flora through the application of antibiotics and mass colonization of the bacterium Clostridium difficile in the large intestine. The diarrhea may resolve spontaneously but in older people often causes a severe form of life-threatening condition. [2–3]. The determinants which are the criteria for diagnosis of Clostridium difficile is a toxin A and/or B in the stool or demonstration of the presence of Clostridium difficile strain. Aim. The aim of the study was evaluation the bacterium Clostridium difficile infection in geriatric patients among hospitalized in Department of Geriatrics at Regional Hospital for Mental Diseases "Dziekanka" in Gniezno in the years 2015 - 2016 and compare the information of infections in the years 2012 - 2014 in the same department and the same hospital. Material and Methods. Studied material consisted of data from the medical records based on 1 342 patients from Regional Hospital for Nervous and Mental Patients “Dziekanka” in Gniezno. It was analyzed the following parameters: gender, age of the patient, duration of hospitalization, antibiotics before diarrhea, basic diseases and coexisting diseases. Results. The study included in total 1 342 patients. Clostridium difficile diagnosed in 4 people which is 0.3% of all diagnosed patients. Among the coexisting diseases was diagnosed heart failure (50%), anemia (75%) and renal failure (50%). First-line treatment was vancomycin and metronidazole. Conclusions. Must be taken prevention of infection with Clostridium difficile through early detection and implementation of medical procedures, medicines and sanitary-epidemiological procedures.