Children between the ages of one and three had the highest incidence of Clostridium difficile infections of all patients under the age of 18 in 2010 and 2011, according to a study in Pediatrics.
Researchers analyzed data from the Emerging Infections Program that gathered information on C. diff from eight states on approximately 900 children. The children were between one year and 17 years old.
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Here are nine more statistics on C. diff in children.
1. There were 66.3 total incidences of C. diff per 100,000 patients in one-year-olds, the highest rate of all the age groups.
2. The rate fell to 13.8 per 100,000 patients for six-year olds.
3. The incidence rate rose again for patients between the ages of 13 to 17, growing from 8.8 patients per 100,000 for 13-year-olds to 25.6 patients per 100,000 for 17-year-olds.
4. Most of the C. diff cases, 71 percent, were community-associated.
5. Seventeen percent of the cases were healthcare-associated, community-onset cases.
6. Twelve percent of the cases were onset via a healthcare facility.
7. One-third of the patients had documented antibiotic use for two weeks prior to C. diff-positive stool collection.
8. Eighty-seven percent of community-acquired C. diff patients reported visiting outpatient facilities before onset of the infection, suggesting either a point of acquisition or increased C. Diff susceptibility due to antibiotic prescription use.
9. NAP1 was the most common C. diff strain, accounting for 31 percent of all infections.
Researchers suggest antibiotic use and exposure is the most important "modifiable risk factor" for managing C. diff infections and should be prioritized, according to the study. They also suggest more studies are needed to better understand C. diff acquisition in the community.
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