BACKGROUND The incidence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in nursing home residents is believed to be high because of the prevalence of predisposing factors such as decreased immune response, multiple comorbidities, medications, increased risk of infection, close proximity of residents, and recent hospitalization. Yet, specific information on CDI in this population is scarce.  OBJECTI...

To cite: Safdar N, Perencevich E. BMJ Qual Saf 2015;24:409–411. Clostridium difficile, a spore-forming organism, causes as many as 25% of cases of healthcare-associated diarrhoea. In many developed countries, C. difficile infection (CDI) is now the most important healthcare-associated infection (HAI), suggesting an urgent need of strategies for effective containment. Recent studies on the impac...

Fecal microbiome transplantation by low-volume enema is an effective, safe, and inexpensive alternative to antibiotic therapy for patients with chronic relapsing Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). We explored the microbial diversity of pre- and posttransplant stool specimens from CDI patients (n = 6) using deep sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. While interindividual variability in microbiota...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the clinical burden of extraintestinal Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) seen at a single institution and to characterize the management and outcomes of these rare infections. PATIENTS AND METHODS A retrospective medical record review was conducted to identify patients with isolation of C difficile from extraintestinal sites from January 1, 2004, through December 31...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections and Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) are major health care-associated infections (HAIs). Little is known about patients' knowledge of these HAIs. Therefore, we surveyed patients to determine awareness, knowledge, and perceptions of MRSA infections and CDI. DESIGN An interviewer-administered questionna...

The incidence, severity, and associated costs of Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection (CDI) have dramatically increased in hospitals over the past decade, indicating an urgent need for strategies to prevent transmission of C. difficile. This article describes a multifaceted collaborative approach to reduce hospital-onset CDI rates in 35 acute care hospitals in the New York metropolita...

OBJECTIVES We describe the management and outcome of permanent pacemaker (PPM) and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) infections in a large cohort of patients seen at a tertiary care facility with expertise in device lead extraction. BACKGROUND Infection is a serious complication of PPM and ICD implantation. Optimal care of patients with these cardiac device infections (CDI) is not ...

OBJECTIVE Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is associated with hospitalization and may cause readmission following admission for any reason. We aimed to measure the incidence of readmissions due to CDI. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. PATIENTS Adult inpatients in Orange County, California, who presented with new-onset CDI within 12 weeks of discharge. METHODS We assessed mandatory ...

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the most common nosocomial infection in the United States, being associated with high recurrence and persistence rates. Though the relationship between intestinal dysbiosis and CDI is well known, it is unclear whether different forms of dysbiosis may potentially affect the course of CDI. How this is further influenced by C. difficile-directed antibiotics...