TABLE 2.

Studies investigating risk factors for C. difficile colonization at hospital admission or acquisition of C. difficile during admission^a

Condition	Identified risk factor	Reference(s)
Risk factors for colonization at admission
C. difficile colonization	Previous hospitalization	15, 132
	Previous CDI episode	132
	Previous use of corticosteroids or other immunosuppressant medication	15, 132
	Presence of antibodies against toxin B	132
	Current loose stools/diarrhea not meeting CDI criteria	15
Toxigenic C. difficile colonization	Previous hospitalization	129
	Chronic dialysis	129
	Use of corticosteroids	129
Risk factors for acquiring colonization during admission
C. difficile colonization	Previous hospitalization	12
	Use of chemotherapy	12
	Use of proton pump inhibitors or H2 blockers	12
	Presence of antibodies against toxin B	12
Toxigenic C. difficile colonization	TLR4 polymorphism	11
	Cefepime use during admission	11

^aStudies were included if they were published since 1994, investigated either risk factors for colonization at admission or risk factors for colonization acquisition during admission (studies investigating risk factors for being colonized at a certain time point during hospitalization were excluded), had a sample size of >100 patients, and assessed risk factors by multivariate regression.