C. Difficile

About 500,000 Americans fall ill from Clostridium difficile infections every year.

Dr. Maria Bye, an epidemiologist at the Minnesota Department of Health shares some unsettling news when it comes to C. difficile: dentists’ prescribing habits may be contributing to CDI incidence.

Surotomycin fails to show benefit over vancomycin for the treatment of Clostridium difficile infection in a phase 3 trial.

Navigating the difficult road of Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) surveillance, reporting, and reimbursement.

This year, our goal is to obtain proclamations in all 50 states.

In a new literature review, researchers from the Netherlands postulate that studying fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) can help identify novel therapeutic targets for metabolic syndromes.

Potentially defective personal protection equipment, patients’ involvement in hand hygiene, probiotics that work against C. difficile, what makes delafloxacin unique, and a new discovery against the herpes virus make up the Top 5 articles for the month of August 2017.

When it comes to cleaning products that work against Clostridium difficile, a new study has found that wipes are better than sprays.

Silvia Munoz-Price, MD, PhD, shares a few issues that hospital epidemiologists currently face.

Proton pumps inhibitors present risks for individuals living with HIV, dalbavancin can treat MRSA-related pneumonia, probiotics prove deadly against C. difficile, patient involvement increases healthcare practitioners’ hand hygiene, and why delafloxacin is a unique antibiotic for skin infections are the topics that make up this week’s Top 5 articles.

While antibiotic resistance continues to lead to deadly Clostridium difficile infections, a team of researchers has found that a probiotic may offer a new way to kill the superbug.

Penn researchers find that cases of recurrent C. difficile infections are rapidly increasing, underscoring the need for new treatment options, such as fecal microbiota transplants.

Kirk Hevener, PharmD, PhD, explains why narrow-spectrum antibiotics are more beneficial for treating C. difficile.

Gonzalo Bearman, MD, MPH, explains what is known about Clostridium difficile prevention and control.

Gonzalo Bearman, MD, MPH, shares a few things to keep in mind when using bundled approaches against C. difficile.

Superbugs, Zika, antibiotic development, C. difficile, and HIV are the article topics making up this week’s Top 5 articles.

Kirk Hevener, PharmD, PhD, explains the drawbacks of first-line drugs that are currently used to treat C. difficile infections.

Julian Hurdle, PhD explains why some patients experience recurrence of Clostridium difficile after treatment.

Niaz Banaei, MD, discusses some reasons why healthcare-associated C. difficile tends to be over-diagnosed.

Khalid Eljaaly, PharmD, MS, CAPPS, BCPS, explains why carbapenem antibiotics cause higher rates of C. diff and superinfections.

Khalid Eljaaly, PharmD, MS, CAPPS, BCPS, explains his team’s findings on the link between carbapenems and superinfections & Clostridium difficile.

Researchers believe that an increased incidence of C. difficile in travelers returning from international destinations may be linked to travelers' diarrhea.

Gonzalo Bearman, MD, MPH, professor of medicine, and hospital epidemiologist, Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Virginia Commonwealth University, explains how controlling antibiotic use can impact Clostridium difficile rates.

In a Phase 2 controlled clinical study, patients with Clostridium difficile infection receiving ridinilazole were found to have achieved better treatment outcomes than those receiving vancomycin.

Gonzalo Bearman, MD, MPH, professor of medicine, and hospital epidemiologist, Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Virginia Commonwealth University, discusses a cost-effective way to control Clostridium difficile in the hospital setting.

Gonzalo Bearman, MD, MPH, professor of medicine, and hospital epidemiologist, Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Virginia Commonwealth University, examines the importance of nurse-driven Clostridium difficile protocols.

What can healthcare providers do to stop these infections before they start?

Gonzalo Bearman, MD, MPH, professor of medicine, and hospital epidemiologist, Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Virginia Commonwealth University, discusses some alternative approaches to contact precautions for patients with Clostridium difficile.

Gonzalo Bearman, MD, MPH, professor of medicine, and hospital epidemiologist, Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Virginia Commonwealth University, discusses contact precautions for patients with Clostridium difficile.

Belinda Ostrowsky, MD, MPH, Health Systems Director of Epidemiology, Antimicrobial Stewardship & Infection Prevention, Montefiore Medical Center, and Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, discusses five stewardship strategies to help reduce healthcare-associated Clostridium difficile rates.