The impact of intensive staff education on rate of Clostridium difficile-associated disease in hospitalized geriatric patients

Background: Toxin-producing Clostridium difficile is the most common cause of nosocomial diarrhea in geriatric units. Aim: The purpose of study was to check the impact of intensive staff education on rate of Clostridium difficile-associated disease in hospitalized geriatric patients. Methods: The sampling frame was all patients suffering from diarrhea checked for Clostridium difficile toxin during the years 2017–2018. Clostridium difficile-positive patients were compared to a similar number of Clostridium difficile toxin-negative patients. The data were compared to our previous study, followed by medical staff’s educational program for Clostridium difficile control and prevention. Results: Among 217 patients with diarrhea, 60 (27.6%) were positive for Clostridium difficile toxin. The study group tended to be of older age (p = 0.06), and showed higher rate of functional impairment (p < 0.001) and mortality (p < 0.001) than Clostridium difficile toxin negative patients. The rate of Clostridium difficile toxin-positive patients did not significantly differ between the previous and current studies (20.0% and 27.6%, respectively). Conclusions and discussion: In spite of findings, that patients tended to be older, with high rate of mortality, the rate of Clostridium difficile did not change from the previous study.