Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T12:39:18.741Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Association between Clostridioides difficile infection testing results and decision to treat

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 July 2021

Martin E. Evans*
Affiliation:
National Infectious Diseases Service, Specialty Care Services, Veterans Health Administration, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, District of Columbia, USA Lexington Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, Lexington, Kentucky, USA Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kentucky School of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
Brian P. McCauley
Affiliation:
National Infectious Diseases Service, Specialty Care Services, Veterans Health Administration, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
Loretta A. Simbartl
Affiliation:
National Infectious Diseases Service, Specialty Care Services, Veterans Health Administration, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
*
Author for correspondence: Martin E. Evans, E-mail: martin.evans@va.gov

Abstract

We sought to determine how often patients with a negative toxin enzyme immunoassay following a positive nucleic acid amplification test for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) were treated for CDI in Veterans Affairs facilities. From October 2018 through March 2021, 702 (29.5%) of 2,374 unique patients with these test results were treated.

Type
Concise Communication
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Roselle, GA, Evans, ME, Simbartl, LA, McCauley, BP, Lipscomb, K, Clifton, M. A targeted assessment for prevention strategy to decrease Clostridioides difficile infections in Veterans’ Affairs acute-care medical centers. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2020;41:302305.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Polage, CR, Gyorke, CE, Kennedy, MA, et al. Overdiagnosis of Clostridium difficile infection in the molecular test era. JAMA Intern Med 2015;175:17921801.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hitchcock, MM, Holubar, M, Hogan, CA, Tompkins, LS, Banaei, N. Dual reporting of Clostridioides difficile PCR and predicted toxin result based on PCR cycle threshold reduces treatment of toxin-negative patients without increases in adverse outcomes. J Clin Microbiol 2020;57:111.Google Scholar
Vogelzang, EH, Lankelma, JM, vanMansfeld, R, vanPrehn, J, vanHoudt, R. Implementing a Clostridium difficile testing algorithm and its effect on isolation during and treatment initiation: a pre- and postimplementation study. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect 2020;39:10711076.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miller, R, Morillas, JA, Brizendine, KD, Fraser, TG. Predictors of Clostridioides difficile infection-related complications and treatment patterns among nucleic acid amplification test-positive/toxin enzyme immunoassay-negative patients. J Clin Microbiol 2020;58:19.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Markley, JD, Tassone, D, Christian, M, et al. Implementation of two-step Clostridioides difficile testing algorithm and management of possible carriers. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2020;41 suppl 1:S269S270.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lenggenhager, L, Zanella, MC, Poncet, A, Kaiser, L, Schrenzel, J. Discordant Clostridioides difficile diagnostic assay and treatment practice: a cross-sectional study in a tertiary-care hospital, Geneva, Switzerland. BMC Open 2020;10:e036342.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Evans, ME, Kralovic, SM, Simbartl, LA, Jain, R, Roselle, GA. Effect of a Clostridium difficile infection prevention initiative in Veterans’ Affairs acute-care facilities. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;37:720722.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCauley, BP, Evans, ME, Simbartl, LA, Gamage, SD, Kralovic, SM, Roselle, GA. Effect of testing methods on incidence of Clostridioides difficile infection rates in Veterans’ Affairs medical centers. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2021;42:461463.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed