Clostridium difficle Enteropathy Is Associated with a Higher Risk for Acute Kidney Injury in Patients with an Ileostomy-A Case-Control Study

Abstract

Background: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is traditionally considered a colon-affecting disease with frequent pseudomembrane formation. However, multiple case reports have documented the existence of CDI in the small bowel, and the literature on outcome of C difficile enteropathy (CDE) is sparse. The aims of our study are to identify risk factors and to assess patient-related outcomes associated with CDE. Methods: This is a case-control study involving 112 patients at our tertiary care center. Patients with an ileostomy who tested positive for C difficile toxins were assigned to the study group (n = 34). The control group included patients with an ileostomy who tested negative for the C difficile toxins (n = 78). Via chart review, we collected data on baseline characteristics, laboratory values, potential risk factors, and outcome measures. Results: Patients in the study and control groups were comparable in baseline and laboratory characteristics. In univariate analysis, CDE was associated with a history of smoking (hazard ratio [HR], 2.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-4.3; P = 0.034), the presence of alcohol use (HR, 3.7; 95% CI, 1.05-12.8; P = 0.042), and older median age at the time of ileostomy (HR, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.07-1.3; P = 0.001). In multivariate analysis, no significant association between established CDI risk factors (eg, prior exposure to antibiotics and the use of proton pump inhibitors or histamine 2 receptor blockers) and the risk for the CDE was found. Only a history of alcohol intake was found to be associated with CDE (HR, 3.9; 95% CI, 1.09-14.1; P = 0.036). No significant difference in mortality was found in the study and control groups (2.9% vs 1.3%, P = 0.52), but patients with CDE were more likely to have acute kidney injury (AKI) than those without CDE (odds ratio, 4.0; 95% CI, 1.2-13.0. P = 0.023). Conclusions: We identified a history of alcohol use a risk factor for CDE. Furthermore, CDE was found be associated with an increased risk for developing AKI.