Antibiotic associated diarrhoea due to clostridium difficile Antibiotic associated diarrhoea due to clestridium difficile in three tertiary care hospitals in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Patient demographic data and clinical data were collected using an interviewer administered questionnaire. Faecal toxin detection for both Clostridium difficile toxin A and B was performed using an Enzyme linked immuno sorbant assay ( ELISA) ( DRG Clostridum toxin A and B ( EIA 4203) DRG international . Inc, USA in the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayawardenepura. Four out of 100 specimens were positive for the toxin A or B by the ELISA . Two patients were from CSTH, one was from THK and one was from NHSL. Overall proportion of Clostridum difficile toxin positivity was 4 percent . When considering the individual hospitals the proportions were 8.3 percent , 3.0 percent and 2.3 percent at CSTH. THK and NHSL respectively. This study showed that hospital acquired CDAD is seen in our country even through the proportions and rates remain very low in the three selected hospitals when compared to the other countries. Even though we could not analyze the risk factors due to very small proportions of positive cases, it seems that old age and use of cephalosporins, carbapenems, extended spectrum penicillin’s and macrolides would be associated with CDAD