Table 2.
Characteristics of 51 hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients with Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) by type of transplant
| Characteristic(s) | Allogeneic (N = 39) | Autologous (N = 12) | p-Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | |||
| Age (yr) | 44.6 ± 15.9 | 37.4 ± 23.9 | 0.34 |
| Men (%) | 22 (56) | 7 (58) | 1.0 |
| Caucasian ethnicity (%) | 33 (85) | 11 (92) | 1.0 |
| Onset of CDI | |||
| Time from HSCT to CDI (d) | 13.8 ± 16.4 | 11.1 ± 17.1 | 0.65 |
| Time from admission to CDI (d) | 19.6 ± 20.15 | 13.5 ± 13.1 | 0.15 |
| Conventional risk factors for CDI | |||
| General risk factors | |||
| Antibiotica (%) | 39 (100) | 12 (100) | NA |
| Total number of prior antibiotics | 2.6 ± 1.1 | 2.3 ± 1.1 | 0.5 |
| Quinolones (%) | 24 (62) | 8 (67) | 1.0 |
| Cefepime (%) | 29 (74) | 8 (67) | 0.7 |
| Imipenem (%) | 6 (15) | 2 (17) | 1.0 |
| Vancomycin (%) | 20 (51) | 5 (42) | 0.74 |
| Proton pump inhibitors (%) | 23 (59) | 5 (42) | 0.34 |
| Prior gastrointestinal surgery or procedure (%) | 7 (18) | 1 (8) | 0.7 |
| Diabetes (%) | 8 (21) | 0 | 0.1 |
| Nasogastric tube (%) | 1 (3) | 0 | 1.0 |
| Total parenteral nutrition (%) | 10 (26) | 3 (25) | 1.0 |
| Low albumin (<2.5 g/dL) (%) | 30 (77) | 9 (75) | 1.0 |
| Charlson’s Comorbidity Index | 2.5 ± 1.04 | 2.0 ± 0.29 | 0.02 |
| Risk factors related to HSCT | |||
| Number of chemotherapy agents in preparative regimen | 2.7 ± 1.97 | 2.5 ± 1.62 | 0.64 |
| Radiation as part of preparative regimen (%) | 8 (21) | 1 (8) | 0.7 |
| Neutropenia at onset of CDI (%) | 22 (56) | 8 (67) | 0.73 |
| Clinical features of CDI | |||
| Abdominal pain (%) | 8 (21) | 3 (25) | 0.7 |
| Fever (%) | 8 (21) | 3 (25) | 0.7 |
| Treatment of CDI | |||
| Metronidazole (oral/IV) (%) | 33 (85) | 10 (83) | 1.0 |
| Vancomycin alone (oral) | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| Metronidazole (oral/IV) plus vancomycin (oral)b (%) | 6 (15) | 2 (17) | 1.0 |
| Duration of treatment (d)c | 11.4 ± 3.9 | 10.7 ± 1.6 | 0.5 |
| Complications of CDI | |||
| Severe CDI | 0 | 1 (8%) | 0.24 |
| Recurrent CDI | 2 (5%) | 0 | 1.0 |
| Death | 0 | 0 | N/A |
Table entries are either mean ± SD or N (%).
N/A, not applicable.
a
All patients received >1 antibiotic during the prior 30-d period.
b
All patients received metronidazole as initial therapy that was switched to oral vancomycin in 15% of allogeneic and 17% of autologous HSCT recipients owing to drug intolerance.
c
The exact duration of therapy was available in 28 allogeneic and six autologous transplant recipients.