Risk of common infections in people with inflammatory bowel disease in primary care: a population-based cohort study

ObjectiveTo evaluate the risk of common infections in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) [ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease] compared with matched controls in a contemporary UK primary care population.DesignMatched cohort analysis (2014–2019) using the Royal College of General Practitioners Research and Surveillance Centre primary care database. Risk of common infections, viral infections and gastrointestinal infections (including a subset of culture-confirmed infections), and predictors of common infections, were evaluated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models.Results18 829 people with IBD were matched to 73 316 controls. People with IBD were more likely to present to primary care with a common infection over the study period (46% vs 37% of controls). Risks of common infections, viral infections and gastrointestinal infections (including stool culture-confirmed infections) were increased for people with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease compared with matched controls (HR range 1.12–1.83, all p