At a recent meeting on that problematic nasty pathogen Clostridium difficile, the dramatic reductions of C. diff infections by hospitals in the United Kingdom cast something of a pall over the proceedings. While U.S. epidemiologists pointed to slides to take…
The dramatic reduction of Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) in hospitals in the United Kingdom is putting considerable pressure on American infection preventionists and health care epidemiologists to follow suit with similar success. Yet despite increasing infection prevention efforts in many…
Baltimore: While Clostridium difficile has clearly won several of the early rounds, infection preventionists are making progress in the fight to prevent C. diff infections (CDIs), according to a new survey by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology…
Baltimore: Despite increasing infection prevention efforts, Clostridium difficile remains a persistent threat to patient safety in the nation’s hospitals, according to a survey released today by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). The APIC survey found that 70% of infection…
Antimicrobial stewardship programs specifically targeting Clostridium difficile infections offer a promising path to protect patients from this enteric scourge, but may have little effect unless a broad range of other infection control measures are also put in place, researchers are…
Dramatic progress in reducing several major health care associated infections (HAIs) in recent years has been offset by the unrelenting rise of Clostridium difficile, the spore-forming pathogen that can cling steadfast to hands even after washing. While, there hopeful signs…
Once relatively unknown to the public and described in arcane terms like “nosocomial,” health care associated infections (HAIs) are now literally front-page news. A USA Today cover story on Clostridium difficile is the latest example. Public awareness is being dramatically…
Long-term care (LTC) has moved to a top priority in the next phase of the Department for Health and Human Services (HHS) Action Plan to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), with a public comment period now open to review strategies to…
One finding that slid under the radar recently in a CDC report on the surging epidemic of Clostridium difficile was that 94% of the infections were linked to health care. That’s logical enough, you may well note, but consider that…
Clostridium difficile is moving beyond its traditional stronghold in the hospital to cause infections in long term care and ambulatory settings, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. While many health care-associated infections, such as bloodstream infections, declined in…