Table 1. Clostridium difficile infection rates in acute-care hospitals, New Jersey, 2000–2004*.
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | Mean | Total | 2004 rate/ 2000 rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C. difficile cases | 1,585 | 1,540 | 2,201 | 2,974 | 5,094 | 2,679 | 13,394 | NA |
| C. difficile cases/1,000 admissions | 3.7 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 7.7 | 4.7 | NA | 2.1 |
| C. difficile–positive test results | 2,355 | 2,759 | 5,193 | 8,592 | 12,445 | 6,269 | 31,344 | NA |
| C. difficile–positive test results/1,000 admissions | 4.2 | 4.4 | 7.8 | 12.4 | 18.4 | 9.4 | NA | 4.4 |
| C. difficile–complicated cases | 2 | 3 | 5 | 12 | 43 | 13 | 65 | NA |
| C. difficile complication rate† (%) | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 0.4 | NA | 6.8 |
| C. difficile healthcare-associated outbreaks (no. hospitals affected) | 2 (2) | 6 (1) | 10 (7) | 11 (7) | 25 (12) | 11 | 54 | NA |
| C. difficile healthcare-associated outbreak rate‡ | 3.7 | 10.9 | 18.2 | 19.6 | 44 | 19.3 | NA | 11.9 |
| Deaths reported within 30 days after diagnosis | 0 | 0 | 23 | 50 | 87 | 32 | 160 | NA |
| 30-day C. difficile crude mortality rate (%) | 0 | 0 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1 | NA | 1.5§ |
| Recurrent C. difficile cases | 0 | 1 | 7 | 76 | 171 | 51 | 255 | NA |
| Recurrent C. difficile rate¶ (%) | 0 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 1.3 | NA | 34# |
*NA, not available. †Percentage of C. difficile patients in whom complications developed. ‡Outbreaks per 100 acute-care hospitals that responded. §2004 rate/2002 rate. ¶Percentage of C. difficile patients whose infections recurred. #2004 rate/2001 rate.