Author: Aaron Lessen, M.D.

Educational Pearls

• While C. difficile infections are generally thought of as nosocomial, there is a subset of patients who acquire the infection in the community.
• One recent study showed that about 10% of patients presenting to the ED with diarrhea and without vomiting had a C. diff infection.
• Another study found risk factors for community-acquired C. diff included recent ED/Urgent care visits and antibiotic use. However, 36% of the patients in that study had no identifiable risk factors.

References: Gupta A, Khanna S. Community-acquired Clostridium difficile infection: an increasing public health threat. Infection and Drug Resistance. 2014;7:63-72. doi:10.2147/IDR.S46780.