Here are 19 stories Becker's recently published on Clostridium difficile in honor of November being C. difficile Awareness Month.
The stories are listed below, starting with the most recent.
1. 5 factors to predict patients' C. diff risk
A group of factors could predict which patients are likely to develop C. difficile and help providers prevent the infection, a study published in Science Translational Medicine found.
2. New strategy linked to lower health facility-associated C. diff rates
Decreasing the use of the antibiotic cephalosporin is an effective strategy for reducing healthcare facility-associated C. difficile incidence over time, according to a study published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.
3. Use of copper oxide-infused linens significantly reduced C. diff-related HAIs, study finds
The use of biocidal copper oxide-impregnated linens significantly reduced certain healthcare-associated infections, including infections caused by C. difficile, according to a study published in Journal of Hospital Infection.
4. 4 independent patient risk factors for acquiring C. diff
A study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases examined risk factors for C. difficile transmission using whole-genome sequencing.
5. Hospital linens may be source of C. diff outbreaks, study finds
Commercial laundering processes using industrial detergent and high disinfecting temperatures do not completely eliminate the presence of C. difficile bacteria on hospital sheets, according to a study published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.
6. Multiple-bed hospital rooms not linked to higher C. diff risk, study finds
Patients staying in multiple-bed rooms of general medicine and surgical wards do not face a higher risk of C. difficile, a study published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology found.
7. ED placement is an independent predictor of C. diff
A study published in the American Journal of Infection Control found that C. difficile infection was most frequently diagnosed in the emergency department.
8. Hospitals test whether dogs can sniff out C. diff
After infection control teams in the Netherlands and Vancouver, Canada, reported success in using dogs to sniff out patients with C. difficile, Toronto researchers sought to determine whether canines can detect the dangerous infection in hospitals, STAT reported.
9. 5 factors increasing risk of community-acquired C. diff
A study published in the Journal of Hospital Infection examined the current epidemiological landscape and risk factors associated with community-acquired C. difficile infection.
10. Fidaxomicin could be 'first-line therapy' for certain recurrent C. diff patients
A study published inThe Lancet Infectious Diseasesexamined treatments for non-multiply recurrent C. difficile infections.
11. Oral probiotics reduce cost of treating C. diff-associated diarrhea
A study published in the Journal of Hospital Infection examined the cost-effectiveness of oral probiotics as a preventive strategy for C. difficile-associated diarrhea in hospitalized children and adolescents.
12. Intermediate hospital occupancy linked to higher C. diff rates, study finds
Patients are more at risk for acquiring a C. difficile infection when a hospital is only moderately full versus at full capacity, according to a study published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
13. Fecal transplants prove effective as primary treatment for C. diff, study finds
Fecal transplants may be an effective first-line treatment against C. difficile infections, according to a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
14. Penicillin allergy indicates higher risk of developing MRSA, C. diff
A study published in The BMJ examined the link between a penicillin allergy and the development of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and C. difficile.
15. Researchers develop 'smart antibiotics' to combat C. diff
Researchers at State College-based Pennsylvania State University and Tucson-based University of Arizona are developing smart antibiotics, which can target genes belonging to C. difficile bacteria, according to a study published in The Journal of Antibiotics.
16. C. diff patients on opioids face higher readmission risk, longer hospital stay
More than three-fourths of patients with C. difficile receive opioids while hospitalized — but these painkillers increase the risk for severe disease, longer hospitalization and higher readmission rates, according to research published in Gastroenterology.
17. Sharps containers do not contribute to C. diff transmission
Using disposable and reusable sharps containers — containers that are used to safely dispose of sharp medical instruments — does not increase the risk of C. difficile infection transmission, according to a study published in the American Journal of Infection Control.
18. 95% of C. diff patients treated using FMT would undergo the procedure again
A study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases examined the durability, clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction among patients undergoing fecal microbiota transplantation for recurrent C. difficile infection.
19. Probiotics prove effective at fighting C. diff
A study published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology examined whether probiotics can help reduce the likelihood of developing C. difficile infections.
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