Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on infection in a tertiary healthcare institution in Belgium.

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) causes the greatest number of healthcare-associated infectious diarrhoea. CDIs are transmitted by direct and indirect patient-to-patient contact and risk increases with the use of antibiotics. Since early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected healthcare systems in many ways including substantial changes in hygiene behaviour. The aim of this study was to assess whether CDI incidence differed during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to a year before. All tests for suspected CDI cases were recorded for a hospital in Brussels, Belgium. The percentage of CDI... Mehr ...

Verfasser: Tossens, Bastien
Barthelme, Philippe
Briquet, Caroline
Belkhir, Leïla
Ngyuvula Mantu, Eléonore
Soumillion, Kate
Verroken, Alexia
Rodriguez-Villalobos, Hector
Delmée, Michel
Anantharajah, Ahalieyah
Dokumenttyp: Artikel
Erscheinungsdatum: 2023
Schlagwörter: COVID-19 / Clostridioides difficile infection / antibiotic consumption / healthcare-associated infection / hygiene
Sprache: Englisch
Permalink: https://search.fid-benelux.de/Record/base-26599394
Datenquelle: BASE; Originalkatalog
Powered By: BASE
Link(s) : http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/278910

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) causes the greatest number of healthcare-associated infectious diarrhoea. CDIs are transmitted by direct and indirect patient-to-patient contact and risk increases with the use of antibiotics. Since early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected healthcare systems in many ways including substantial changes in hygiene behaviour. The aim of this study was to assess whether CDI incidence differed during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to a year before. All tests for suspected CDI cases were recorded for a hospital in Brussels, Belgium. The percentage of CDI-positive results and incidences (total and healthcare-associated (HA)-CDI)) for years 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 were calculated. Antibiotic consumption was analysed for years 2019 and 2020. Since the COVID-19 pandemic struck, a significant reduction of up to 39% was observed in the number of stool tests in our hospital. A significant decrease in the percentage of positive tests and a 50% decrease in the incidence of CDI (total and HA-CDI) was found for 2020 compared with 2019 and confirmed for years 2021 and 2022. The decrease in CDI incidence was mostly marked in haematology, nephrology, and gastroenterology units. No significant change in the use of antibiotics was found. The global decrease in CDI incidence observed in our hospital was not associated with a change in the use of antibiotics. The control measures implemented to prevent COVID-19 transmission may explain a reduction in CDI incidence. An underdiagnosis of CDI cannot be excluded.