Journal article
Healthcare provider diagnostic testing practices for identification of Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile in children: an Emerging Infections Network survey
Infection control and hospital epidemiology, Vol.40(3), pp.276-280
03/01/2019
DOI: 10.1017/ice.2018.347
PMCID: PMC6934170
PMID: 30767829
Abstract
Objective: To characterize healthcare provider diagnostic testing practices for identifying Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile infection (CDI) and asymptomatic carriage in children. Design: Electronic survey. Methods: An 11-question survey was sent by e-mail or facsimile to all pediatric infectious diseases (PID) members of the Infectious Diseases Society of America's Emerging Infections Network (EIN). Results: Among 345 eligible respondents who had ever responded to an EIN survey, 196 (57%) responded; 162 of these (83%) were aware of their institutional policies for CDI testing and management. Also, 159 (98%) respondents knew their institution's C. difficile testing method: 99 (62%) utilize NAAT without toxin testing and 60 (38%) utilize toxin testing, either as a single test or a multistep algorithm. Of 153 respondents, 10 (7%) reported that formed stools were tested for C. difficile at their institution, and 76 of 151 (50%) reported that their institution does not restrict C. difficile testing in infants and young children. The frequency of symptom- and age-based testing restrictions did not vary between institutions utilizing NAAT alone compared to those utilizing toxin testing for C. difficile diagnosis. Of 143 respondents, 26 (16%) permit testing of neonatal intensive care unit patients and 12 of 26 (46%) treat CDI with antibiotics in this patient population. Conclusions: These data suggest that there are opportunities to improve CDI diagnostic stewardship practices in children, including among hospitals using NAATs alone for CDI diagnosis in children.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Healthcare provider diagnostic testing practices for identification of Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile in children: an Emerging Infections Network survey
- Creators
- Larry K. Kociolek - Northwestern UniversityPreeta K. Kutty - National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious DiseasesPhilip M. Polgreen - Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of MedicineSusan E. Beekmann - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Infection control and hospital epidemiology, Vol.40(3), pp.276-280
- DOI
- 10.1017/ice.2018.347
- PMID
- 30767829
- PMCID
- PMC6934170
- NLM abbreviation
- Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol
- ISSN
- 0899-823X
- eISSN
- 1559-6834
- Publisher
- Cambridge Univ Press
- Number of pages
- 5
- Grant note
- 1 U50 CK000477 / Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; United States Department of Health & Human Services; Centers for Disease Control & Prevention - USA K23AI123525 / NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA; NIH National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases (NIAID) K23 AI123525 / National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA; NIH National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 03/01/2019
- Academic Unit
- Infectious Diseases; Epidemiology; Injury Prevention Research Center; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984359589402771
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