Study on patients with Clostridioides difficile infection during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria

Figures & data

Table 1. Demographic and clinical data for patients before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

	Pre COVID-19 CDI group n = 52	COVID-19 CDI group n = 246	P-value
Male sex	32 (61.5%)	135 (54.87%)
Age (median)	58 (20-92)	67 (35-89)
Hospitalization in the last 2 months	15 (28.84%)	23 (9.34%)	p = 0.03
Antibiotic use in the last 2 months	25 (48.07%)	201 (81.07%)	p = 0.02
Corticosteroid use in the past two months	4 (7.69%)	102 (41.46%)	p < 0.001
Proton inhibitor use in the past two months	16 (28.57%)	211 (85.77%)	p < 0.001
Cardiovascular disease and/or hypertension	19 (36.53%)	142 (57.72%)	p = 0.04
Diabetes mellitus	12 (23.07%)	66 (26.82%)
Metabolic syndrome/Obesitas	14 (26.92%)	106 (43.08%)	p = 0.02
Chronic kidney disease	22 (42.30%)	112 (45.52%)
Chronic respiratory disease	6 (11.53%)	21 (8.53%)
Liver failure	3 (5.76%)	19 (7.72%)
Malignant disease	7 (13.46%)	74 (30.08%)	p < 0.001
Neurological diseases	6 (11.53%)	104 (42.27%)	p < 0.001
HIV infection	2 (3.84%)	16 (6.05%)
Median ATLAS score	3 (2-4)	4 (3-6)
Leukocytosis ≥ 15,000 cells/mL	15 (28.84%)	97 (39.43%)
Serum creatinine > 1.5 mg/dL	22 (42.3%)	116 (47.15%)
Hospital stay (median), days	8 (3-14)	14 (3-21)	p = 0.03
Relapse of CDI	14 (26.92%)	122 (49.59%)	p = 0.01

Table 2. Treatment of patients with CDI from the COVID-19 period.

		Patients, n (%)
CDI onset	Hospital-onset CDI	106 (43.08%)
	Diarrhea onset after COVID-19 diagnosis (by the 10th day after discharge)	140 (56.91%)
Treatment	Metronidazole	17 (6.91%)
	Vancomycin	8 (3.25%)
	Vancomycin and metronidazole	221 (89.83%)

Data availability statement

The data are available upon reasonable request from the author for correspondence (V.V.).