Hospital roommates and development of health care-onset Clostridium difficile infection

Abstract

There is potential for person-to-person transmission in Clostridium difficile outbreak settings. A limited number of studies have examined the role of hospital roommates in the development of nosocomial infections. This retrospective cohort study evaluated room cooccupancy and duration of exposure to roommates as predictors of health care-onset C difficile infection (CDI). Among roommates of patients with CDI, duration of room cooccupancy was significantly longer in those developing CDI.

Keywords: Clostridium difficile; Contact isolation; Hospital acquired; Roommates.