Evidence map›Paper›PMID 21429188›Full record

ArticleBMC research notes2011

Decline in Clostridium difficile-associated disease rates in Singapore public hospitals, 2006 to 2008.

Li-Yang Hsu, Thean Yen Tan, Tse Hsien Koh, Andrea L Kwa, Prabha Krishnan, Nancy W Tee, Roland Jureen

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC research notes, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 30% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Tropical medicine and infectious disease · 2018
    Review
  5. Prevalence and molecular epidemiology ofNew microbes and new infections · 2017
    Article
  6. Clostridium difficile Infection.Microbiology spectrum · 2016
    Review
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection in Asia.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2013
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Li-Yang HsuDepartment of Medicine, National University Health System, 1E Kent Ridge Road, NUHS Tower Block Level 10, Singapore 119228, Singapore. liyang_hsu@yahoo.com.
Thean Yen Tan
Tse Hsien Koh
Andrea L Kwa
Prabha Krishnan
Nancy W Tee
Roland Jureen
National University Health System · SGChangi General Hospital · SGKK Women's and Children's Hospital · SGSingapore General Hospital · SGTan Tock Seng Hospital · SG

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundClostridium difficile is the major cause of pseudomembranous colitis associated with antibiotic use, and the spread of the hypervirulent epidemic ribotype 027/NAP-1 strain across hospitals worldwide has re-focused attention on this nosocomial pathogen. The overall incidence and trend of C. difficile-associated disease (CDAD) in Singapore is unknown, and a surveillance program to determine these via formal laboratory-based reporting was established.

findingsLaboratory and pharmacy data were collated from one tertiary and two secondary hospitals on a quarterly basis between 2006 and 2008. All hospitals tested for C. difficile using Immunocard Toxins A&B (Meridian Bioscience Inc., Cincinnati, OH) during this period. Duplicate positive C. difficile results within a 14-day period were removed. The CDAD results were compared with trends in hospital-based prescription of major classes of antibiotics.Overall CDAD incidence-density decreased from 5.16 (95%CI: 4.73 - 5.62) cases per 10,000 inpatient-days in 2006 to 2.99 (95%CI: 2.67 to 3.33) cases per 10,000 inpatient-days in 2008 (p < 0.001), while overall rates for C. difficile testing increased significantly (p < 0.001) within the same period. These trends were mirrored at the individual hospital level. Evaluation of antibiotic prescription data at all hospitals showed increasing use of carbapenems and fluoroquinolones, while cephalosporin and clindamycin prescription remained stable.

conclusionsOur results demonstrate a real decline of CDAD rates in three large local hospitals. The cause is unclear and is not associated with improved infection control measures or reduction in antibiotic prescription. Lack of C. difficile stool cultures as part of routine testing precluded determination of the decline of a major clone as a potential explanation. For more accurate epidemiological trending of CDAD and early detection of epidemic clones, data collection will have to be expanded and resources set in place for reference laboratory culture and typing.

Identifiers

PMID21429188
PMCPMC3068971
OpenAlexW2019902413

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.