Prevalence of Hospital Acquired Clostridium Difficile among Antibiotics utilizing Patients in Fayoum University Hospitals)/

Introduction: The Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a serious healthcare-associated infection (HAI)that is especially prevalent in developing nations. C. difficile is classified as toxigenic or non-toxigenic according to its capacity to produce toxins.Aim of the study: The study aims to evaluate the prevalence of Clostridium difficile among hospitalized patients using antibiotics in Fayoum University hospitals. Subjects and Methods: Stool samples were collected from 90 hospitalized patients receiving antibiotic suffering from any symptoms suggest clostridium difficile infection and were subjected to direct stool culture using selective stool culture media cycloserine-cefoxitin fructose agar (CCFA), and direct stool toxin A and B detection by enzyme-linked immunosorbent test (ELISA)technique.Results: from 90 stool samples, five samples (5.6 %) were positive for toxin A and/or B of C. difficile, three samples (3.3 %) were equivocal, and eighty- two samples (91.1 %) were negative. While, only 3 samples of CCFA culture were positive. ELISA confirmed that all three culture-positive samples were toxigenic.Conclusion: The prevalence rate of Clostridium difficile in our study is relatively high in comparison with global Burden, however it is relatively low in comparison to other Egyptian studies, Direct stool C. difficile toxin A/B detection using the ELISA technique is the most frequently utilized and easiest technique for detecting C. difficile toxins. It could potentially serve as a screening test and are helpful in labs with limited resources, but laboratory results need to be interpreted in accordance with the patient's clinical presentation.Keywords: Clostridium difficile, toxin A&B, CCFA Culture, Enzyme immunoassay