BACKGROUND Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection is an important cause of healthcare-associated diarrhea. Several factors such as admission of colonized patients, levels of serum antibodies in patients, and control strategies may involve in determining the prevalence and the persistence of C. difficile in a hospital unit. METHODS We develop mathematical models based on deterministic and stochastic frameworks to investigate the effects of control strategies for colonized and symptomatic patients and admissions of colonized and symptomatic patients on the prevalence and the persistence of C. difficile. RESULTS Our findings suggest that control strategies and admissions of colonized and symptomatic patients play important roles in determining the prevalence and the persistence of C. difficile. Improving control of C. difficile in colonized and symptomatic patients may generally help reduce the prevalence and the persistence of C. difficile. However, if admission rates of colonized and symptomatic patients are high, the prevalence of C. difficile may remain high in a patient population even though strict control policies are applied. CONCLUSION Control strategies and admissions of colonized and symptomatic patients are important determinants of the prevalence and the persistence of C. difficile.

中文翻译：

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在医院环境中对艰难梭菌进行建模：定植和有症状患者的控制和入院。

背景技术艰难梭菌（C. difficile）感染是医疗相关性腹泻的重要原因。一些因素，例如定植患者的入院情况、患者血清抗体水平以及控制策略，可能会影响医院病房中艰难梭菌的流行率和持续性。方法 我们开发了基于确定性和随机框架的数学模型，以研究定植和有症状患者的控制策略以及定植和有症状患者的入院对艰难梭菌患病率和持续性的影响。结果我们的研究结果表明，控制策略以及定植和有症状患者的入院在确定艰难梭菌的患病率和持续性方面发挥着重要作用。改善对定植和有症状患者中艰难梭菌的控制通常可能有助于降低艰难梭菌的患病率和持久性。然而，如果定植和有症状患者的入院率较高，即使采取严格的控制政策，艰难梭菌在患者群体中的患病率可能仍然很高。结论 控制策略以及定植和有症状患者的入院是艰难梭菌流行和持续存在的重要决定因素。