Economic burden of primary compared with recurrent Clostridium difficile infection in hospitalized patients: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have investigated the additional healthcare costs of recurrent C. difficile infection (CDI). AIM: To quantify inpatient treatment costs for CDI and length of stay among hospitalized patients with primary CDI only, compared with CDI patients who experienced recurrent CDI. METHODS: This was a prospective, observational cohort study of hospitalized adult patients with primary CDI followed for three months to assess for recurrent CDI episodes. Total and CDI-attributable hospital length of stay (LOS) and hospitalization costs were compared among patients who did or did not experience at least one recurrent CDI episode. FINDINGS: In all, 540 hospitalized patients aged 62±17 years (42% males) with primary CDI were enrolled, of whom 95 patients (18%) experienced 101 recurrent CDI episodes. CDI-attributable median (interquartile range) LOS and costs (in US$) increased from 7 (4-13) days and $13,168 (7,525-24,456) for patients with primary CDI only versus 15 (8-25) days and $28,218 (15,050-47,030) for patients with recurrent CDI (P<0.0001, each). Total hospital median LOS and costs increased from 11 (6-22) days and $20,693 (11,287-41,386) for patients with primary CDI only versus 24 (11-48) days and $45,148 (20,693-82,772) for patients with recurrent CDI (P<0.0001, each). The median cost of pharmacological treatment while hospitalized was $60 (23-200) for patients with primary CDI only (N=445) and $140 (30-260) for patients with recurrent CDI (P=0.0013). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that patients with CDI experience a significant healthcare economic burden attributed to CDI. Economic costs and healthcare burden increased significantly for patients with recurrent CDI.

Método mejorado de producción de segundo anticuerpo para radioinmunoánalisis / Improve method of production of second antibody for radioinmunoanalysis

Se implemento un método de producción de gamma globulina de oveja anti conejo, realizando inoculaciones semanales de 500 ug con adyuvantede Freund's completo y mensuales de 500 ug con adyuvante de Freund's incompleto de ovejas hembras. Se probó una buena producción de gamma globulina a partir delsegundo mes de iniciada la inmunización. Los títulos adecuados para ensayos en fase líquida de hormonas proteícas: LH, FSH, PRL, GH y tiroides T3 y T4 séricas fueron de 1/50. La disponibilidad de este reactivo producido dentro del marco del proyecto ARCAL VIII cubre actualmente los requerimientos de laboratorios nacionales y esta en capacidad de proveer este reactivo a nivel regional