Healthcare Disparities in Clostridioides difficile infection in the United States, 2011-2018

Abstract

For many illnesses, certain subgroups of patients experience disparities. It is important to identify inequalities in care and outcomes so that targeted interventions can be developed. The aim of our study was to determine whether subgroups with Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) experienced disparities in sepsis and in-hospital deaths. We analyzed data coming from the National Inpatient Sample from 2011-2018. We identified hospitalizations with CDI that also had sepsis and in-hospital mortality. Variables of interest included age, race/ethnicity, sex, region, length of stay (LOS), charges, payer, and urban/rural classification of the hospital. Of 2.6 million hospitalizations with CDI for 2011-2018, approximately 26% also had sepsis and 7% with in-hospital deaths. Over time, CDI-related sepsis increased, and in-hospital deaths decreased. For those with CDI, there were disparities for both sepsis and death rates with the non-white race/ethnicity subgroups and male sex having increased risk of both.