Table 1.
—Risk Factors Associated With CDI
| Variable | Risk Factors |
| Perturbation of the intestinal flora/mucosa or immune system | |
| Antibiotic treatment | |
| Fluoroquinolone-resistant BI/NAP1/027 | |
| Proton pump inhibitors and H2-receptor antagonists | |
| Chemotherapy (hematopoietic stem cell and solid organ transplants) | |
| Glucocorticoids | |
| Radiation treatment | |
| Intestinal stasis (medications) | |
| Abdominal surgery | |
| Nasogastric tubes and enemas | |
| Environmental contamination | |
| Length of stay in hospital or long-term care facility | |
| Possible: food contamination, pets, and farm animals | |
| Host factors | |
| Age >65 y | |
| Multiple comorbidities | |
| Peripartum women and children | |
| Inflammatory bowel disease | |
| HIV | |
| Chronic kidney disease requiring hemodialysis |
CDI = Clostridium difficile infection.