Determining Mortality Rates Attributable to Clostridium difficile Infection - Vol. 18 No. 2 - February 2012 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal - CDC

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Determining Mortality Rates Attributable to Clostridium difficile Infection - Vol. 18 No. 2 - February 2012 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal - CDC

Volume 18, Number 2—February 2012

Dispatch

Determining Mortality Rates Attributable to Clostridium difficile Infection

Article Contents

• The Study
• Conclusions
• Acknowledgment
• References
• Table 1
• Table 2
• Suggested Citation

Susy S. Hota , Camille Achonu, Natasha S. Crowcroft, Bart J. Harvey, Albert Lauwers, and Michael A. Gardam

Author affiliations: University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (S.S. Hota, M.A. Gardam); Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion, Toronto (C. Achonu, N.S. Crowcroft); University of Toronto, Toronto (N.S. Crowcroft, B.J. Harvey, M.A. Gardam); Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, Toronto (A. Lauwers)

Suggested citation for this article

Abstract

To determine accuracy of measures of deaths attributable to Clostridium difficile infection, we compared 3 measures for 2007–2008 in Ontario, Canada: death certificate; death within 30 days of infection; and panel review. Data on death within 30 days were more feasible than panel review and more accurate than death certificate data.

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has emerged as a major health care–associated infection; incidence, hospitalizations, and mortality rates are increasing (1,2). Reported case-fatality rates are 6%–30% and seem to be rising (3,4). The reporting of CDI-associated deaths could be considered a quality indicator; however, the accuracy of death certificate data is questionable (5). We analyzed CDI deaths in 3 hospitals in Ontario, Canada, and compared 3 measures for attributing death to CDI: death certificate, death within 30 days of CDI, and a panel review process (considered the reference standard).