Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Clostridioides difficile Infection (CDI) is more prevalent in people with hematologic diseases. However, epidemiological characteristics are poorly understood. METHODS: From July 2016 to November 2021, we studied the epidemiology of CDI in patients with hematological diseases at a tertiary teaching hospital in Shanghai, China. RESULTS: In hematological patients, the prevalence of CDI was 21.6%, with 89.8% hospital-acquired infections. C. difficile ST81, which is a multidrug-resistant strain carrying only the toxin B, is the most common strain (38.1%), followed by ST3 (16.7%) and ST2 (9.5%). Clindamycin and moxifloxacin resistance rates of all C. difficile species were 64.3% and 31%, respectively, and no isolate was resistant to vancomycin, linezolid, metronidazole, teicoplanin, or daptomycin. DISCUSSION: This study provides a comprehensive characterization of CDI in hematological patients, highlighting the urgent need for enhanced surveillance and preventive strategies against this emerging nosocomial threat.