
Abstract Background Infectious diseases are the second leading contributor to racial disparities in healthcare. Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a common community/hospital acquired infection that can cause life-threatening colitis. Despite the influence that socioeconomic factors, insurance status, and access to care can have on CDI outcomes, there is a dearth of literature that evaluates the impact of racial differences. The objective of this study was to identify racial disparities in CDI and describe clinical outcomes among hospitalized adults. Methods This is an IRB approved, retrospective study of adult patients (≥ 18 years) hospitalized with initial episodes of CDI between January 2020 to June 2021. Initial CDI episodes were identified by the ICD-10 code A04.72. Medical records were reviewed for demographics, comorbid conditions, insurance, total length of stay (LOS), and need for intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Patients were dichotomized by race/ethnicity into either the racially and ethnically minoritized (REM) group or the non-Hispanic White (n-REM) group. P value of ≤ 0.05 was defined as significant. Results In total 220 patients (61.8% REM, 136/220; 38.2% n-REM, 84/220) with an initial CDI episode were included. Majority of the REM patients were Hispanic (38.2%) followed by Black (13.6%), and Asian (5%). Compared to the n-REM group, the REM patients were younger (60 vs 69 years, p =0.016) and were more likely to have underlying comorbidities (diabetes mellitus 33% vs 9.5%; p < 0.001 and chronic kidney disease 48.5% vs 21.3%; p < 0.001). The REM patients were more likely to present with fulminant CDI (21.3% vs 11.9%; p =0.1). The REM patients were also more likely to be admitted to the ICU during their stay (41.9% vs 26.2%; p =0.021) and have a longer hospital length of stay (LOS) (12 vs 7 days; p =0.02). Lastly, the REM patients were more likely to be under-insured with 91 patients (66.9%) having Medi-Cal insurance compared to 34 patients (40.5%) in the n-REM group (p < 0.001). Conclusion Despite being younger, REM patients were more likely to require an ICU admission, have underlying comorbidities, have a longer LOS, and be under-insured. There is a need for further studies to understand disparities between REM and n-REM patients regarding CDI. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures.
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