Objectives:

To estimate the prevalence and factors related to infection by Clostridium difficile in a high complexity hospital in Cali, Colombia.

Methods:

A case and control study was conducted in patients consulting for diarrhea or diarrhea developed during hospitalisation with a positive CRP test result for Clostridium difficile. During 2012-2014, 29 cases and 58 controls were included.

Results:

The prevalence of Clostridium difficile in the hospital was 10 per 10.000 hospitalised patients, in 3 cases the NAP1/O27 strain was identified. Factors associatedwith Clostridium difficile were diabetes mellitus (OR = 7.4, IC95%: 1.1-47.6, P=.035), leukaemia (OR: 4.1, IC95%: 1,0-16.5, P=.043) and consumption of antibiotics for more than 7 days (OR = 7.0, IC95%: 2,3-21.1, P=.001).

Conclusions:

This study confirmed the association of Clostridium difficile infection with the use of previous antibiotics, in accordance with that reported in literature.

This study describes for the first time in our country the hypervirulent NAP1/O27 in hospitalised patients.

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