The Emergence of Clostridium difficile Infection among Peripartum Women: A Case-Control Study of a C. difficile Outbreak on an Obstetrical Service

Table 2

Selected characteristics of CDI cases and of randomly selected controls.

	Cases (𝑁=20)	Controls (𝑁=80)	OR (95% CI)	P-value
Mean age ± S.D.	30.6 ± 9.3	29.0 ± 7.2		0.2
Ethnicity
Caucasian	12 (60%)	41 (51%)
African American	3 (15%)	8 (10%)
Hispanic	3 (15%)	14 (18%)		0.9
Asian/Pacific Islander	1 (5%)	8 (10%)
Other/unknown	1 (5%)	8 (10%)
Mode of delivery	14 (70%)	27 (34%)	4.6 (1.6–13.3)	0.03
Cesarean section
Significant underlying illness	5 (25%)	6 (8%)	4.1 (1.2–15.2)	0.04
Prior antepartum hospitalizations	11 (55%)	2 (3%)	47.7 (9.1–250.0)	0.001
Complications
Preterm labor	2 (10%)	8 (10%)	1.0 (.20–5.1)	1.0
PPROM	3 (15%)	4 (5%)	3.4 (.06–1.5)	0.1
Chorioamnionitis	7 (35%)	4 (5%)	10.2 (2.9–39.9)	.001
Postpartum endometritis	5 (25%)	2 (3%)	13.0 (2.3–73.4)	.003
Any antibiotic use	19 (95%)	45 (56%)	14.8 (1.9–115.8)	0.001
Antibiotic combinations
Amp/Gent/Clinda	10 (50%)	2 (3%)	39.0 (7.5–204.0)	<.001
Clindamycin alone	2 (10%)	2 (3%)	4.3 (.57–32.9)	0.2
Cefazolin/Keflex	10 (50%)	24 (30%)	2.3 (0.9–6.3)	0.9
Other	6 (30%)	2 (3%)	16.7 (3.1–91.3)	.001
>3 doses of IV antibiotics	18 (90%)	14 (18%)	42.4 (8.8–204.0)	<.001

*Categorical variables testing using chi-square or Fischer’s exact test; continuous variables tested using the Mann Whitney U test.