Search

Background: The incidence of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in peripartum women is rising, but limited data on its effect on maternal and neonatal outcomes are available., Objective: To study the effect of peripartum CDI on pregnancy and neonatal outcomes., Design: Retrospective cohort study., Methods: Patients with peripartum CDI 12 weeks before pregnancy through 6 weeks postpartum (January 1996-February 2018) were matched with controls (peripartum women without CDI) 1:1 by age, year of delivery, and prior pregnancies. McNemar's test and conditional logistic regression were used to analyze the effect of CDI on pregnancy and neonatal outcomes (complications, mode of delivery). p  < 0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: Overall, 101 cases and 100 controls (1997-2018) were included; median age 27 (range, 20-41) years. Timing of CDI was as follows: pre-pregnancy: 15.8% ( n  = 16), during pregnancy: 51.5% ( n  = 52), and postpartum: 32.7% ( n  = 33). The commonest risk factor was outpatient/emergency room visits. Pregnancy and neonatal outcomes were analyzed for 67 matched pairs with CDI before or during pregnancy. Cases had higher odds of cesarean delivery ( p  = 0.02) and lower odds of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection/colonization ( p  = 0.03). Odds of cesarean delivery remained high after controlling for labor arrest disorders [odds ratio (OR): 17.23 (95% confidence interval (CI), 2.19-543.19; p  = 0.004)]; odds of GBS remained low after controlling for antibiotic use (OR: 0.25, 95% CI, 0.04-0.99; p  = 0.049). Neonatal outcomes were similar in cases and controls. CDI treatment did not affect treatment-related or delivery outcomes., Conclusion: Peripartum CDI was associated with higher odds of cesarean delivery and lower odds of GBS infections. Larger studies exploring the effect of CDI on pregnancy and neonatal outcomes are needed., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s), 2023.)

Background: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a sensitive test for diagnosing Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) and could remain positive following resolution of CDI. The kinetics of PCR positivity following antibiotics for CDI is unknown. We studied this and whether it predicted CDI recurrence., Methods: Adults with CDI from October 2009 to May 2017 were included. Serial stool samples within 60 days of treatment were collected. Recurrent CDI was defined as diarrhea after interim symptom resolution with positive stool PCR within 56 or 90 days of treatment completion. Contingency table analysis was used to assess the risk of recurrence., Results: Fifty patients were included [median age: 51 (range = 20-86) years, 66% women]. Treatment given was metronidazole, 50% (25); vancomycin, 44% (22); both, 4% (2); and fidaxomicin, 2% (1). Median duration of treatment for all 50 patients was 14 (range = 8-60) days. The median duration of treatment in patients who got prolonged therapy (>14 days) ( n  = 10) was 47 (range = 18-60) days. Median time to negative PCR was 9 (95% CI, 7-14) days from treatment initiation, which did not differ by antibiotics given ( p  = 0.5). A positive PCR during or after treatment was associated with a higher risk of recurrence at 56 days ( p  = 0.02) and at 90 days ( p  = 0.009)., Conclusion: The median time to negative PCR in CDI was 9 days from treatment initiation. The PCR positivity during or after treatment may be useful for recurrence prediction; larger studies are needed to validate these results., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s), 2021.)

Background: The incidence of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is increasing in the general population. Data on the epidemiology of CDI in peripartum women - a highly vulnerable patient population - is scarce. The objective of this study was to report the incidence of CDI in peripartum women., Methods: A single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted in peripartum women from 1997 to 2017. Peripartum CDI was defined as definite CDI (watery diarrhea for >24 h with positive stool assay) during pregnancy, or within 6 weeks postpartum. Incidence was reported per 100,000 pregnancies and time trends in incidence were analyzed using Poisson regression. Analyses were done separately for time trends before and after 2007, when CDI testing strategy changed to polymerase chain reaction., Results: From 1997 to 2017, 80 patients with peripartum CDI (47 during pregnancy, 33 postpartum) out of 125,683 pregnancies (0.064%) were identified. Incidence of CDI increased 3.4 fold (95% confidence interval 1.5-7.4, p  = 0.005) over the 21 year period. Time trends were evident after ( p  = 0.054), but not before 2007 ( p  = 0.97)., Conclusion: Incidence of CDI in peripartum women increased over the 21 year study period. The rise in incidence is concerning, and calls for heightened surveillance for CDI in this highly vulnerable population., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s), 2020.)