C. difficile up, especially in children

CINCINNATI, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers warn more U.S. hospital patients -- especially children -- are becoming infected with the bacteria Clostridium difficile.

The infection, known as C. difficile, has a range of symptoms but can lead to toxic megacolon, perforated bowels and other potentially fatal conditions.

Researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in Ohio found the number of cases increased by 15 percent each year -- from 3,565 in 1997 to 7,779 in 2006. Children showed the greatest risk of death or colectomy -- surgery to remove all or part of the colon.

The study, published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, indicated the children most likely to become infected were those with other diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, organ transplant or cancer. The risk of infection was also higher among those who were white, lived in the West or in urban areas, or had private insurance.

"We don't know exactly why we see these populations have an increased risk," study lead author Dr. Cade Nylund said in a statement. "However, it likely has much to do with antibiotic exposure, which is a major risk factor for development of C. difficile."

Nylund, an Air Force major at Walter Reed Army and National Navy Medical Center, worked on the study during a fellowship at Children's Hospital Medical Center.