Table 1. Risk factors for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), recurrent CDI, community-associated CDI, and severe CDI .
| C. difficile infection | Recurrent CDI | Community-associated CDI | Severe CDI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antibiotic use | Antibiotic use | Antibiotic use | Antibiotic use |
| Older age (65+ years) | Older age (65+ years) | Younger age (children–65 years) | Older age (70+ years) |
| PPI use | PPI use | PPI use | Immunocompromised state |
| Multimorbidity | Heart disease | Female sex | Previous hospitalization |
| IBD | MRSA colonization | Proximity to infants | Renal dysfunction |
| Liver disease | VTE | Outpatient health care exposure | Hypoalbuminemia |
| Immunosuppression | Community-associated CDI | Proximity to farm | Nursing facility stay |
| Prolonged hospitalizations | Long hospital LOS | Rehabilitation facility stay | |
| Multiple hospitalizations | |||
| Long term care facility resident | |||
| Abdominal operations |
Abbreviations: CDI, C. difficile infection; IBD, inflammatory bowel disease; LOS, length of stay; MRSA, methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; PPI, proton pump inhibitor; VTE, venous thromboembolism.