Clostridioides difficile infection increases the need for using biologics in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases: a retrospective long-term study
Rocco Spagnuolo, Giuseppe Guido Maria Scarlata, Domenico Morano, Felice Imoletti, Nadia Marascio, Marta Pantanella, Evelina Suraci, Raffaella Marasco, Maria Imeneo, Francesca Serapide, Enrico Maria Trecarichi, Alessandro Russo, Angela Quirino, Ludovico Abenavoli, Giovanni Matera, Francesco LuzzaBackground
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), comprising Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is characterized by chronic intestinal inflammation and may be complicated by gastrointestinal infections. Among these,
Methods
We retrospectively analyzed 102 IBD patients hospitalized for disease flares at a single tertiary care center between January 2020 and September 2024. All patients underwent stool testing for enteric pathogens. Clinical, laboratory, and treatment data were collected at baseline and 12 months.
Results
Gastrointestinal infections were detected in 19% of patients; CDI accounted for 58% of these. At 12 months after gastrointestinal infection, advanced therapy use was more frequent in gastrointestinal infection positive (GI+) patients (63% vs. 43%;
Conclusion
Recognizing gastrointestinal infection promptly and integrating infection history into therapeutic decision-making may improve patient outcomes by preventing severe disease progression and guiding timely escalation of therapy.