OBJECTIVES: To collect real world data on length of stay and attributable costs at hospital wards for patients with CDI in a Swedish inpatient care setting. METHODS: The CEBRxA database was used, which combines data from a health resource utilization database for inhabitants in the greater Gothenburg area, with national Swedish registers on prescription drug use and mortality. All CDI events (ICD-10 code A04.7) were collected during the years 2005 to 2009. CDI admissions were defined as new or recurrent, i.e. new admission within 42 days from discharge. CDI care contacts were explored in the strata of new-/recurrent CDI with CDI diagnose in primary/other position. RESULTS: A total of 2,338 care contacts (1,689 patients) of which 82% was inpatient, were identified. New CDI care contacts accounted for 1,883 and recurrent care contacts for 455. Recurrent care contacts were 1.36 times more likely to have the CDI diagnosis in first position compared to new care contacts (P=3.078e-10), corresponding to 64% (290/455). The mean length of stay for recurrent care contacts, with CDI in other diagnose positions, was 15.9 days compared to CDI in primary position, 7.3 days. The mean cost for recurrent CDI in primary position was 24,710SEK and 57,910SEK for CDI in other diagnose position. When allowing the CDI diagnosis to be in any position, the mean length of stay was 10.5 days with a mean cost of 37,020SEK. CONCLUSIONS: The mean cost and length of stay for patients with CDI varied considerably depending on whether the CDI diagnosis was in primary position or included as a complicating factor to pre-existing disease, i.e. other diagnose position. There would be a large potential for cost savings if recurrent CDI could be avoided.