An expert panel of infectious disease specialists conducted a literature review of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea prevention measures and risk factors and voted to approve 11 recommendations, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.
The panel was led by Infectious Disease News editorial board member Ellie J. C. Goldstein, MD, of R.M. Alden Research Laboratory in Culver City, Calif., and the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California in Los Angeles, and included eight infectious disease experts.
The panelists provided clinical opinions, evaluated the strength of published evidence, modified recommendations and voted to create a final set of C. diff recommendations.
Of the 17 recommendations presented by the panelists, the following 11 were approved.
- Initiate antibiotic stewardship
- Reduce the use of proton pump inhibitors
- Use specific probiotics to prevent C. diff overgrowth
- Educate staff on CDAD preventive measures
- Practice appropriate hand hygiene among all healthcare providers
- Regularly clean rooms vacated by patients with CDAD with sporicidal agents
- Regularly clean medical equipment using sporicidal agents
- Implement diagnostics for the early detection of CDAD in symptomatic patients
- Use protective gloves and clothing when working with CDAD patients
- Adhere to preventive measures during an outbreak; and
- Use surveillance data to monitor and implement CDAD preventive measures.