Differences in time-to-testing and time-to-isolation between community-onset and hospital-onset Clostridioides difficile cases at a tertiary care VA medical center.

Background: Delayed identification and isolation of patients with Clostridiodies difficile infection (CDI) may contribute to in-hospital transmission and delay appropriate therapy. To assess potential points for intervention, we conducted a retrospective cohort study to determine differences in time-to-testing and time-to-isolation among community-onset (CO), community-onset healthcare facility-associated (CO-HCFA), and hospital-onset (HO) CDI.

Methods: We compared clinical and demographic data of all CO, CO-HCFA, and HO CDI patients at our institution between October 2011 and September 2015.