Prevalence of Clostridium Difficile Among Paediatric Patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital, Coastal Karnataka, South India

Introduction: The study was intended to analyse the burden of Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) and associated intestinal pathogens from children with diarrhoea who were hospitalized in a tertiary care teaching hospital of South India. Materials and Methods: Stool samples from 138 children with diarrhoea belonging to the age group 0-14 years were analysed by semi quantitative culture, latex agglutination and enzyme immunoassay for C. difficile. The associated intestinal pathogens were also detected from the specimens by standard procedures. Results: Stool samples of 138 children were tested during the period; 21 (15.22%) samples were culture positive for C. difficile and the isolates were confirmed by biochemical reactions. 9(6.52%) were positive by latex agglutination. EIA for C. difficile toxins A and B was done on all the stool specimens and 15 were found to be positive (10.87 %). According to the reference standard method employed in our study, 4 toxigenic C. difficile isolates (2.90%) were obtained from 138 specimens. Among the other intestinal pathogens, Escherichia coli predominated (22.46%). Rota virus was detected in 7.27% stool samples of children under the age of five years. Conclusion: The study shows the prevalence of C. difficile in hospitalized children in our locality which highlights the importance of judicious use of antibiotics and strict infection control measures.