Reducing length of stay to improve Clostridium difficile-related health outcomes

David C. Brain*, Adrian G. Barnett, Laith Yakob, Archie Clements, Thomas V. Riley, Kate Halton, Nicholas Graves

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)
1 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Background: Clostridium difficile infection is a serious hospital-acquired infection, causing negative outcomes for those who are afflicted by it. Hospital length of stay is known to be a risk factor for transmission and significant reductions in infection numbers can be realised if transmission is reduced. 

Methods: A Markov model was constructed to compare the impact that five alternative healthcare scenarios had on total C. difficile infections, QALYs gained and total number of patients requiring treatment in ICU. A previously published stochastic transmission model for C. difficile informed scenario effectiveness, while other parameters were estimated from published literature, administrative datasets and expert opinion. 

Results: Reducing inpatient LOS disrupts transmission of C. difficile and results in a large reduction of total infections. In turn, an increase in QALYs is expected when the number of infections is reduced. A reduction in infections reduces the number of ICU admissions, which is likely to have a large economic benefit in the Australian setting. Coupling a reduction in overall inpatient LOS with a ‘traditional’ infection control intervention, such as hand hygiene or antimicrobial stewardship, improves results further than reducing LOS on its own. 

Conclusion: Implementing a LOS-focused intervention would be a practical challenge, especially for clinicians who already juggle high demand. However, it is not unattainable with the right local endorsement and could have significant benefits for health services.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)87-92
Number of pages6
JournalInfection, Disease and Health
Volume23
Issue number2
Early online date26 Feb 2018
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2018
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 The Author(s)

Keywords

  • CDI
  • Clostridium difficile
  • LOS

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Nursing
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Infectious Diseases

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