Clostridium difficile Skin Contamination in Patients with C. difficile–Associated Disease

• Published in: Clinical infectious diseases Vol. 46; no. 3; pp. 447 - 450
• Main Authors: Bobulsky, Greg S., Al-Nassir, Wafa N., Riggs, Michelle M., Sethi, Ajay K., Donskey, Curtis J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 01.02.2008; University of Chicago Press; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Abdomen; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial diseases of the digestive system and abdomen; Biological and medical sciences; Brief Reports; Clostridium; Clostridium difficile; Clostridium difficile - isolation & purification; Clostridium Infections - microbiology; Cohort Studies; Dermatology; Diarrhea; Diarrhea - microbiology; Epidemics; Epidemiology; Feces - microbiology; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Skin; Skin - microbiology; Skin diseases; Spores; Toxins; Human; Clostridiaceae; Clostridium difficile; Clostridiales; Diarrhea; Bacteria; Digestive diseases; Intestinal disease; Skin; Contamination
• ISSN: 1058-4838; 1537-6591; 1537-6591
• DOI: 10.1086/525267

In a prospective study of 27 patients with Clostridium difficile–associated disease, we found that C. difficile frequently contaminated multiple skin sites, including groin, chest, abdomen, forearms, and hands, and was easily acquired on investigators' hands. Skin contamination often persisted on patients' chest and abdomen after resolution of diarrhea.