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Objective: We examined Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) prevention practices and their relationship with hospital-onset healthcare facility-associated CDI rates (CDI rates) in Veterans Affairs (VA) acute-care facilities., Design: Cross-sectional study., Methods: From January 2017 to February 2017, we conducted an electronic survey of CDI prevention practices and hospital characteristics in the VA. We linked survey data with CDI rate data for the period January 2015 to December 2016. We stratified facilities according to whether their overall CDI rate per 10,000 bed days of care was above or below the national VA mean CDI rate. We examined whether specific CDI prevention practices were associated with an increased risk of a CDI rate above the national VA mean CDI rate., Results: All 126 facilities responded (100% response rate). Since implementing CDI prevention practices in July 2012, 60 of 123 facilities (49%) reported a decrease in CDI rates; 22 of 123 facilities (18%) reported an increase, and 41 of 123 (33%) reported no change. Facilities reporting an increase in the CDI rate (vs those reporting a decrease) after implementing prevention practices were 2.54 times more likely to have CDI rates that were above the national mean CDI rate. Whether a facility's CDI rates were above or below the national mean CDI rate was not associated with self-reported cleaning practices, duration of contact precautions, availability of private rooms, or certification of infection preventionists in infection prevention., Conclusions: We found considerable variation in CDI rates. We were unable to identify which particular CDI prevention practices (i.e., bundle components) were associated with lower CDI rates.

OBJECTIVE To determine the impact of an environmental disinfection intervention on the incidence of healthcare-associated Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). DESIGN A multicenter randomized trial. SETTING In total,16 acute-care hospitals in northeastern Ohio participated in the study. INTERVENTION We conducted a 12-month randomized trial to compare standard cleaning to enhanced cleaning that included monitoring of environmental services (EVS) personnel performance with feedback to EVS and infection control staff. We assessed the thoroughness of cleaning based on fluorescent marker removal from high-touch surfaces and the effectiveness of disinfection based on environmental cultures for C. difficile. A linear mixed model was used to compare CDI rates in the intervention and postintervention periods for control and intervention hospitals. The primary outcome was the incidence of healthcare-associated CDI. RESULTS Overall, 7 intervention hospitals and 8 control hospitals completed the study. The intervention resulted in significantly increased fluorescent marker removal in CDI and non-CDI rooms and decreased recovery of C. difficile from high-touch surfaces in CDI rooms. However, no reduction was observed in the incidence of healthcare-associated CDI in the intervention hospitals during the intervention and postintervention periods. Moreover, there was no correlation between the percentage of positive cultures after cleaning of CDI or non-CDI rooms and the incidence of healthcare-associated CDI. CONCLUSIONS An environmental disinfection intervention improved the thoroughness and effectiveness of cleaning but did not reduce the incidence of healthcare-associated CDI. Thus, interventions that focus only on improving cleaning may not be sufficient to control healthcare-associated CDI. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:777-783.

Objective: Provide a systematic review of the primary literature on efforts to reduce Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) occurrence and improve outcomes in older adults., Data Sources, Study Selection, Data Extraction: PubMed and CINAHL databases were searched for research studies using search terms CDI, CDI prevention, reduction, control, management, geriatric, elderly, adults 65 years of age and older. The MeSH categories Aged and Aged, 80 and older, were used. A second search of PubMed, CINAHL, National Guideline Clearinghouse, and TRIP databases was conducted for primary, secondary, and tertiary literature for CDI epidemiology, burden, and management in adults of all ages, and prevention and management guidelines. Of the 2,263 articles located, 105 were selected for full review: 55 primary and 50 secondary, tertiary. Primary literature selected for full review included studies of interventions to prevent, reduce occurrence, control, manage, or improve outcomes in adults 65 years of age and older. Patient settings included the community, assisted living, nursing facility, subacute care, or hospital., Data Synthesis: The main outcome measures for research studies were whether the studied intervention prevented, reduced occurrence, controlled, managed, or improved outcomes. Studies were conducted in acute or long-term hospitals, with a few in nursing facilities. Interventions that prevented or reduced CDI included antibiotic policy changes, education, procedure changes, infection control, and multi-intervention approaches. There were few management studies for adults 65 years of age and older or for all adults with results stratified by age. Treatments studied included efficacy of fidaxomicin, metronidazole, vancomycin, and fecal microbiota transplant. Though clinical outcomes were slightly less robust in those 65 years of age and older, age was not an independent predictor of success or failure. The current prevention and management guidelines for adults of all ages, as well as special considerations in skilled nursing facilities, extracted from the secondary/tertiary literature selected, are summarized., Conclusion: There are a limited number of studies designed for older adults. Our findings suggest that guideline recommendations for adults are adequate and appropriate for older adults. Exposure to antibiotics and Clostridium difficile remain the two major risk factors for CDI, reinforcing the importance of antibiotic stewardship and infection control.

Quality Issue: Infectious disease outbreaks result in substantial inconvenience to patients and disruption of clinical activity., Initial Assessment: Between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009, the Vancouver Island Health Authority (Island Health) declared 16 outbreaks of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci and Clostridium difficile in acute care facilities. As a result, infection prevention and control became one of Island Health's highest priorities., Choice of Solution: Quality improvement methodology, which promotes a culture of co-production between front-line staff, physicians and Infection Control Practitioners, was used to develop and test a bundle of changes in practices., Implementation: A series of rapid Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, specific to decreasing hospital-acquired infections, were undertaken by a community hospital, selected for its size, clinical specialty representation, and enthusiasm amongst staff and physicians for innovation and change. Positive results were incorporated into practice at the test site, and then introduced throughout the rest of the Health Authority., Evaluation: The changes implemented as a result of this study have enabled better control of antibiotic resistant organisms and have minimized disruption to routine activity, as well as saving an estimated $6.5 million per annum. When outbreaks do occur, they are now controlled much more promptly, even in existing older facilities., Lessons Learned: Through this process, we have changed our approach in Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) from a rules-based approach to one that is risk-based, focusing attention on identifying and managing high-risk situations., (© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care; all rights reserved.)

Background: Health care-acquired Clostridium difficile infection (HACDI) is associated with adverse outcomes at both the organization and patient level. Factors that increase risk for development of HACDI have been identified. Objectives of this study were to develop a predictive screening tool to identify patients at risk for HACDI and implement a bundle of mitigation interventions., Methods: A predictive screening tool was developed based on risk factors identified in the literature and validated by retrospective analysis of all HACDI cases occurring in critically ill patients during 2013. The tool was used to screen all patients admitted to an intensive care unit. Evidence-based interventions (bundle) were implemented for patients identified as being at high risk for HACDI. Effectiveness of the model was measured by reduction of HACDI rate during the intervention period compared with the preintervention period., Results: During the 12-month intervention period 217 high-risk patients were identified as infected with Clostridium difficile. Sixty-two of these met exclusion criteria, resulting in a study population of 157 patients. During the preintervention phase, 10 cases of HACDI occurred (overall incidence rate, 14.7). During the 12-month study period, 2 cases of HACDI were identified (incidence rate, 3.12). The reduction was statistically significant., Conclusion: A strategy for identifying patients at increased risk and implementation of multidisciplinary risk-mitigation strategies is effective in reducing incidence of HACDI., (Copyright © 2016 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: A number of strategies exist to reduce Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) transmission. We conducted an economic evaluation of "bundling" these strategies together., Methods: We constructed an agent-based computer simulation of nosocomial C. difficile transmission and infection in a hospital setting. This model included the following components: interactions between patients and health care workers; room contamination via C. difficile shedding; C. difficile hand carriage and removal via hand hygiene; patient acquisition of C. difficile via contact with contaminated rooms or health care workers; and patient antimicrobial use. Six interventions were introduced alone and "bundled" together: (a) aggressive C. difficile testing; (b) empiric isolation and treatment of symptomatic patients; (c) improved adherence to hand hygiene and (d) contact precautions; (e) improved use of soap and water for hand hygiene; and (f) improved environmental cleaning. Our analysis compared these interventions using values representing 3 different scenarios: (1) base-case (BASE) values that reflect typical hospital practice, (2) intervention (INT) values that represent implementation of hospital-wide efforts to reduce C. diff transmission, and (3) optimal (OPT) values representing the highest expected results from strong adherence to the interventions. Cost parameters for each intervention were obtained from published literature. We performed our analyses assuming low, normal, and high C. difficile importation prevalence and transmissibility of C. difficile., Results: INT levels of the "bundled" intervention were cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000/quality-adjusted life-year in all importation prevalence and transmissibility scenarios. OPT levels of intervention were cost-effective for normal and high importation prevalence and transmissibility scenarios. When analyzed separately, hand hygiene compliance, environmental decontamination, and empiric isolation and treatment were the interventions that had the greatest impact on both cost and effectiveness., Conclusions: A combination of available interventions to prevent CDI is likely to be cost-effective but the cost-effectiveness varies for different levels of intensity of the interventions depending on epidemiological conditions such as C. difficile importation prevalence and transmissibility.

Investigation of an outbreak of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) at a hemodialysis facility revealed evidence that limited intrafacility transmission occurred despite adherence to published infection control standards for dialysis clinics. Outpatient dialysis facilities should consider CDI prevention, including environmental disinfection for C. difficile, when formulating their infection control plans.

We surveyed 571 US hospitals about practices used to prevent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). Most hospitals reported regularly using key CDI prevention practices, and perceived their strength of evidence as high. The largest discrepancy between regular use and perceived evidence strength occurred with antimicrobial stewardship programs.

OBJECTIVE To examine the prevalence of healthcare-associated pathogens and the infection control policies and practices in a national sample of nursing homes (NHs). METHODS In 2012, we conducted a national survey about the extent to which NHs follow suggested infection control practices with regard to 3 common healthcare-associated pathogens: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium difficile, and extended-spectrum β-lactamase producers, and their prevalence in NHs. We adapted a previously used and validated NH infection control survey, including questions on prevalence, admission and screening policies, contact precautions, decolonization, and cleaning practices. RESULTS A total of 1,002 surveys were returned. Of the responding NHs, 14.2% were less likely to accept residents with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, with the principal reason being lack of single or cohort rooms. NHs do not routinely perform admission screening (96.4%) because it is not required by regulation (56.2%) and would not change care provision (30.7%). Isolation strategies vary substantially, with gloves being most commonly used. Most NHs (75.1%) do not decolonize carriers of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, but some (10.6%) decolonize more than 90% of residents. Despite no guidance on how resident rooms on contact precautions should be cleaned, 59.3% of NHs report enhanced cleaning for such rooms. CONCLUSION Overall, NHs tend to follow voluntary infection control guidelines only if doing so does not require substantial financial investment in new or dedicated staff or infrastructure.

Objective: To determine the potential epidemiologic and economic value of the implementation of a multifaceted Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) control program at US acute care hospitals, Design: Markov model with a 5-year time horizon, Participants: Patients whose data were used in our simulations were limited to hospitalized Medicare beneficiaries ≥65 years old., Background: CDI is an important public health problem with substantial associated morbidity, mortality, and cost. Multifaceted national prevention efforts in the United Kingdom, including antimicrobial stewardship, patient isolation, hand hygiene, environmental cleaning and disinfection, and audit, resulted in a 59% reduction in CDI cases reported from 2008 to 2012., Methods: Our analysis was conducted from the federal perspective. The intervention we modeled included the following components: antimicrobial stewardship utilizing the Antimicrobial Use and Resistance module of the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), use of contact precautions, and enhanced environmental cleaning. We parameterized our model using data from CDC surveillance systems, the AHRQ Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, and literature reviews. To address uncertainty in our parameter estimates, we conducted sensitivity analyses for intervention effectiveness and cost, expenditures by other federal partners, and discount rate. Each simulation represented a cohort of 1,000 hospitalized patients over 1,000 trials. RESULTS In our base case scenario with 50% intervention effectiveness, we estimated that 509,000 CDI cases and 82,000 CDI-attributable deaths would be prevented over a 5-year time horizon. Nationally, the cost savings across all hospitalizations would be $2.5 billion (95% credible interval: $1.2 billion to $4.0 billion)., Conclusions: The potential benefits of a multifaceted national CDI prevention program are sizeable from the federal perspective.

Objective: To evaluate the long-term outcomes of an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) implemented in a hospital with low baseline antibiotic use., Design: Quasi-experimental, interrupted time-series study., Setting: Public safety net hospital with 525 beds., Intervention: Implementation of a formal ASP in July 2008., Methods: We conducted a time-series analysis to evaluate the impact of the ASP over a 6.25-year period (July 1, 2008-September 30, 2014) while controlling for trends during a 3-year preintervention period (July 1, 2005-June 30, 2008). The primary outcome measures were total antibacterial and antipseudomonal use in days of therapy (DOT) per 1,000 patient-days (PD). Secondary outcomes included antimicrobial costs and resistance, hospital-onset Clostridium difficile infection, and other patient-centered measures., Results: During the preintervention period, total antibacterial and antipseudomonal use were declining (-9.2 and -5.5 DOT/1,000 PD per quarter, respectively). During the stewardship period, both continued to decline, although at lower rates (-3.7 and -2.2 DOT/1,000 PD, respectively), resulting in a slope change of 5.5 DOT/1,000 PD per quarter for total antibacterial use (P=.10) and 3.3 DOT/1,000 PD per quarter for antipseudomonal use (P=.01). Antibiotic expenditures declined markedly during the stewardship period (-$295.42/1,000 PD per quarter, P=.002). There were variable changes in antimicrobial resistance and few apparent changes in C. difficile infection and other patient-centered outcomes., Conclusion: In a hospital with low baseline antibiotic use, implementation of an ASP was associated with sustained reductions in total antibacterial and antipseudomonal use and declining antibiotic expenditures. Common ASP outcome measures have limitations.

Objective: To predict the likelihood of hospital-onset Clostridium difficile infection (HO-CDI) based on patient clinical presentations at admission, Design: Retrospective data analysis, Setting: Six US acute care hospitals, Patients: Adult inpatients, Methods: We used clinical data collected at the time of admission in electronic health record (EHR) systems to develop and validate a HO-CDI predictive model. The outcome measure was HO-CDI cases identified by a nonduplicate positive C. difficile toxin assay result with stool specimens collected >48 hours after inpatient admission. We fit a logistic regression model to predict the risk of HO-CDI. We validated the model using 1,000 bootstrap simulations., Results: Among 78,080 adult admissions, 323 HO-CDI cases were identified (ie, a rate of 4.1 per 1,000 admissions). The logistic regression model yielded 14 independent predictors, including hospital community onset CDI pressure, patient age ≥65, previous healthcare exposures, CDI in previous admission, admission to the intensive care unit, albumin ≤3 g/dL, creatinine >2.0 mg/dL, bands >32%, platelets ≤150 or >420 109/L, and white blood cell count >11,000 mm3. The model had a c-statistic of 0.78 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76-0.81) with good calibration. Among 79% of patients with risk scores of 0-7, 19 HO-CDIs occurred per 10,000 admissions; for patients with risk scores >20, 623 HO-CDIs occurred per 10,000 admissions (P<.0001)., Conclusion: Using clinical parameters available at the time of admission, this HO-CDI model demonstrated good predictive ability, and it may have utility as an early risk identification tool for HO-CDI preventive interventions and outcome comparisons.

Background: Control of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is an increasingly difficult problem for health care institutions. There are commonly recommended strategies to combat CDI transmission, such as oral vancomycin for CDI treatment, increased hand hygiene with soap and water for health care workers, daily environmental disinfection of infected patient rooms, and contact isolation of diseased patients. However, the efficacy of these strategies, particularly for endemic CDI, has not been well studied. The objective of this research is to develop a valid, agent-based simulation model (ABM) to study C. difficile transmission and control in a midsized hospital., Methods: We develop an ABM of a midsized hospital with agents such as patients, health care workers, and visitors. We model the natural progression of CDI in a patient using a Markov chain and the transmission of CDI through agent and environmental interactions. We derive input parameters from aggregate patient data from the 2007-2010 Wisconsin Hospital Association and published medical literature. We define a calibration process, which we use to estimate transition probabilities of the Markov model by comparing simulation results to benchmark values found in published literature., Results: In a comparison of CDI control strategies implemented individually, routine bleach disinfection of CDI-positive patient rooms provides the largest reduction in nosocomial asymptomatic colonization (21.8%) and nosocomial CDIs (42.8%). Additionally, vancomycin treatment provides the largest reduction in relapse CDIs (41.9%), CDI-related mortalities (68.5%), and total patient length of stay (21.6%)., Conclusion: We develop a generalized ABM for CDI control that can be customized and further expanded to specific institutions and/or scenarios. Additionally, we estimate transition probabilities for a Markov model of natural CDI progression in a patient through calibration., (© The Author(s) 2014.)

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are common in intensive care unit (ICU) patients and are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. There has been an increasing effort to prevent HAIs, and infection control practices are paramount in avoiding these complications. In the last several years, numerous developments have been seen in the infection prevention strategies in various health care settings. This article reviews the modern trends in infection control practices to prevent HAIs in ICUs with a focus on methods for monitoring hand hygiene, updates in isolation precautions, new methods for environmental cleaning, antimicrobial bathing, prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia, central line-associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, and Clostridium difficile infection., (© The Author(s) 2013.)

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a major public health problem worldwide with significant morbidity and mortality that is spread by spores and fecal oral transmission. A variety of risk factors have been identified. Some risk factors such as age, are not amenable to change, while others such as antimicrobial utilization have resulted in broadly implemented antimicrobial stewardship programs. New risk factors are emerging such as proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use, irritable bowel disease (IBD) and obesity, with others yet to be determined. Prevention of spread of CDI is imperative, since therapy remains imperfect. We review established and emerging risks for CDI and offer potential preventative strategies with the use of a multidisciplinary CDI prevention bundle checklist.

Clostridium difficile is a bacterium which commonly causes diarrhoea in inpatients. C. difficile affects hospitalised patients worldwide and can pose a significant risk to patients. This article explores the transmission and risk factors for C. difficile infection (CDI). There are many aspects to the prevention and control of CDI: appropriate antibiotic use, early instigation and maintenance of prevention and control strategies, and high standards of environmental cleanliness, education, and surveillance. This article discusses the role of the nurse in each of these prevention and control activities.

A combination of infection control interventions, consisting of education, isolation, hand hygiene, contact precautions, and environmental disinfection, was implemented in the medical intensive care unit (MICU). The strict restriction of the use of antimicrobial agents was not included in this study. Following the interventions, the incidence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in the MICU decreased significantly, by 67%, from 4.70 to 1.53 cases/1000 patient days (p = 0.012), while the hospital-wide incidence of CDI increased significantly from 0.93 to 1.17 cases/1000 patient-days (p = 0.021). A multifaceted approach to minimize C. difficile exposure can be effective in reducing the incidence of hospital-acquired CDI under conditions that do not allow for a restriction in the use of antimicrobial agents., (Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Clostridium difficile is one of the most common and important nosocomial pathogens, causing severe gastrointestinal disease in hospitalized patients. Although "bundled" interventions have been proposed and promoted, optimal control strategies remain unknown., Methods: We designed an agent-based computer simulation of nosocomial C. difficile transmission and infection, which included components such as: patients and health care workers, and their interactions; room contamination via C. difficile shedding; C. difficile hand carriage and removal via hand hygiene; patient acquisition of C. difficile via contact with contaminated rooms or health care workers; and patient antimicrobial use. We then introduced six interventions, alone and "bundled" together: aggressive C. difficile testing; empiric isolation and treatment of symptomatic patients; improved adherence to hand hygiene and contact precautions; improved use of soap and water for hand hygiene; and improved environmental cleaning. All interventions were tested using values representing base-case, typical intervention, and optimal intervention scenarios., Findings: In the base-case scenario, C. difficile infection rates ranged from 8-21 cases/10,000 patient-days, with a case detection fraction between 32%-50%. Implementing the "bundle" at typical intervention levels had a large impact on C. difficile acquisition and infection rates, although intensifying the intervention to optimal levels had much less additional impact. Most of the impact came from improved hand hygiene and empiric isolation and treatment of suspected C. difficile cases., Conclusion: A "bundled" intervention is likely to reduce nosocomial C. difficile infection rates, even under typical implementation conditions. Real-world implementation of the "bundle" should focus on those components of the intervention that are likely to produce the greatest impact on C. difficile infection rates, such as hand hygiene and empiric isolation and treatment of suspected cases.

Introduction: Clostridium difficile (CD) infection is a significant health problem. A new systems approach was introduced to reduce the risk of hospital-acquired CD infection (HA-CD) at our institution. We hypothesized that a practice bundle, including a protocol to limit patient exposures during house staff rounding, would decrease HA-CD infections., Methods: Over a three-year period, 39,093 cases (17,145 inpatients) admitted to the surgical services were reviewed. Cases were reviewed for patient demographics, antibiotic exposures, compliance with antibiotic prophylaxis guidelines, and surgical infections. A resident rounding protocol was developed to limit patient exposures. The program bundle also included a hand washing initiative, maintaining gastric acidity, and antibiotic stewardship., Results: After implementation of the bundle, the average monthly HA-CD infection rate in surgical patients decreased from 4.13 + 2.6 cases to 1.93 + 1.6 cases, p = 0.03. The overall rate of HA-CD infections for surgical cases decreased 41% from 2.8 cases/1,000 patient days to 1.8 cases/1,000 patient-days., Conclusions: Bundled programs designed to reduce patient risk by controlling exposure to both environmental and carrier sources of CD can reduce hospital-acquired CD infections.

Background: We performed a survey of National Healthcare Safety Network hospitals in 2008 to describe adoption of screening and infection control policies aimed at multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) in intensive care units (ICUs) and identify predictors of their presence, monitoring, and implementation., Methods: Four hundred forty-one infection control directors were surveyed using a modified Dillman technique. To explore differences in screening and infection control policies by setting characteristics, bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models were constructed., Results: In total, 250 hospitals participated (57% response rate). Study ICUs (n = 413) routinely screened for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (59%); vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (22%); multidrug-resistant, gram-negative rods (12%); and Clostridium difficile (11%). Directors reported ICU policies to screen all admissions for any MDRO (40%), screen periodically (27%), utilize presumptive isolation/contact precautions pending a screen (31%), and cohort colonized patients (42%). Several independent predictors of the presence and implementation of different interventions including mandatory reporting and teaching status were identified., Conclusion: This study found wide variation in adoption of MDRO screening and infection control interventions, which may reflect differences in published recommendations or their interpretation. Further research is needed to provide additional insight on effective strategies and how best to promote compliance., (Copyright © 2012 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate the impact of the Cleanyourhands campaign on rates of hospital procurement of alcohol hand rub and soap, report trends in selected healthcare associated infections, and investigate the association between infections and procurement., Design: Prospective, ecological, interrupted time series study from 1 July 2004 to 30 June 2008., Setting: 187 acute trusts in England and Wales., Intervention: Installation of bedside alcohol hand rub, materials promoting hand hygiene and institutional engagement, regular hand hygiene audits, rolled out nationally from 1 December 2004., Main Outcome Measures: Quarterly (that is, every three months) rates for each trust of hospital procurement of alcohol hand rub and liquid soap; Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (meticillin resistant (MRSA) and meticillin sensitive (MSSA)) and Clostridium difficile infection for each trust. Associations between procurement and infection rates assessed by mixed effect Poisson regression model (which also accounted for effect of bed occupancy, hospital type, and timing of other national interventions targeting these infections)., Results: Combined procurement of soap and alcohol hand rub tripled from 21.8 to 59.8 mL per patient bed day; procurement rose in association with each phase of the campaign. Rates fell for MRSA bacteraemia (1.88 to 0.91 cases per 10,000 bed days) and C difficile infection (16.75 to 9.49 cases). MSSA bacteraemia rates did not fall. Increased procurement of soap was independently associated with reduced C difficile infection throughout the study (adjusted incidence rate ratio for 1 mL increase per patient bed day 0.993, 95% confidence interval 0.990 to 0.996; P < 0.0001). Increased procurement of alcohol hand rub was independently associated with reduced MRSA bacteraemia, but only in the last four quarters of the study (0.990, 0.985 to 0.995; P < 0.0001). Publication of the Health Act 2006 was strongly associated with reduced MRSA bacteraemia (0.86, 0.75 to 0.98; P = 0.02) and C difficile infection (0.75, 0.67 to 0.84; P < 0.0001). Trust visits by Department of Health improvement teams were also associated with reduced MRSA bacteraemia (0.91, 0.83 to 0.99; P=0.03) and C difficile infection (0.80, 0.71 to 0.90; P=0.01), for at least two quarters after each visit., Conclusions: The Cleanyourhands campaign was associated with sustained increases in hospital procurement of alcohol rub and soap, which the results suggest has an important role in reducing rates of some healthcare associated infections. National interventions for infection control undertaken in the context of a high profile political drive can reduce selected healthcare associated infections.

Background: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a common and sometimes fatal health-care-associated infection; the incidence, deaths, and excess health-care costs resulting from CDIs in hospitalized patients are all at historic highs. Meanwhile, the contribution of nonhospital health-care exposures to the overall burden of CDI, and the ability of programs to prevent CDIs by implementing CDC recommendations across a range of hospitals, have not been demonstrated previously., Methods: Population-based data from the Emerging Infections Program were analyzed by location and antecedent health-care exposures. Present-on-admission and hospital-onset, laboratory-identified CDIs reported to the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) were analyzed. Rates of hospital-onset CDIs were compared between two 8-month periods near the beginning and end of three CDI prevention programs that focused primarily on measures to prevent intrahospital transmission of C. difficile in three states (Illinois, Massachusetts, and New York)., Results: Among CDIs identified in Emerging Infections Program data in 2010, 94% were associated with receiving health care; of these, 75% had onset among persons not currently hospitalized, including recently discharged patients, outpatients, and nursing home residents. Among CDIs reported to NHSN in 2010, 52% were already present on hospital admission, although they were largely health-care related. The pooled CDI rate declined 20% among 71 hospitals participating in the CDI prevention programs., Conclusions: Nearly all CDIs are related to various health-care settings where predisposing antibiotics are prescribed and C. difficile transmission occurs. Hospital-onset CDIs were prevented through an emphasis on infection control., Implications for Public Health: More needs to be done to prevent CDIs; major reductions will require antibiotic stewardship along with infection control applied to nursing homes and ambulatory-care settings as well as hospitals. State health departments and partner organizations have shown leadership in preventing CDIs in hospitals and can prevent more CDIs by extending their programs to cover other health-care settings.

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) management has become more daunting over the past decade because of alarming increases in CDI incidence and severity both in the hospital and in the community. This increase has concomitantly caused significant escalation of the health-care economic burden caused by CDI, and it will likely be translated to increased ICU admission and attributable mortality. Some possible causes for difficulty in management of CDI are as follows: (1) inability to predict and prevent development of severe/complicated or relapsing CDI in patients who initially present with mild symptoms; (2) lack of a method to determine who would have benefited a priori from initiating vancomycin treatment first instead of treatment with metronidazole; (3) lack of sensitive and specific CDI diagnostics; (4) changing epidemiology of CDI, including the emergence of a hypervirulent, epidemic C difficile strain associated with increased morbidity and mortality; (5) association of certain high-usage nonantimicrobial medications with CDI; and (6) lack of treatment regimens that leave the normal intestinal flora undisturbed while treating the primary infection. The objective of this article is to present current management and prevention guidelines for CDI based on recommendations by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America and Infectious Diseases Society of America and potential new clinical management strategies on the horizon.

For 74 patients with Clostridium difficile infection, the quality and frequency of bathing was often limited because of such factors as the presence of devices, decreased mobility, and pain. Routine bathing practices had limited efficacy in decreasing the burden of spores on skin; however, showers were more effective than bed baths.

Background: Patients in intensive care units (ICUs) often acquire infections, which impose a heavy human and financial burden. The use of private rooms may reduce the acquisition of certain pathogens, but the limited evidence on this topic is inconsistent., Methods: We compared the rates of acquisition of infectious organisms in an ICU before and after a change from multibed to single rooms. As a control, we used acquisition rates in the ICU of a nearby university teaching hospital, which contained both multibed and single rooms, during the study period. We used a statistical model to adjust for background time trends common to both hospitals., Results: The adjusted rate of acquisition of Clostridium difficile, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus species, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus combined decreased by 54% (95% confidence interval [CI], 29%-70%) following the intervention. The methicillin-resistant S aureus acquisition rate fell by 47% (95% CI,1%-71%), the C difficile acquisition rate fell by 43% (95% CI, 7%-65%), and the yeast acquisition rate fell by 51% (95% CI, 34%-64%). Twelve common and likely exogenous organisms and exogenous/endogenous organisms had a reduction in acquisition rates after the intervention; for 6 of them, this reduction was statistically significant. No effect was observed on the acquisition rate of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species, the most common endogenous organism, for which no change would be expected. The adjusted rate ratio of the average length of stay in the ICU was 10% (95% CI, 0%-19%) lower after the intervention., Conclusion: Conversion to single rooms can substantially reduce the rate at which patients acquire infectious organisms while in the ICU.

Background: Policy and regulatory efforts to reduce Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) rates now focus increasingly on the community setting, especially residential and nursing homes for the elderly. We aimed to describe how potentially infectious diarrhoea is managed in care homes, and to explore related infection control and human waste management practices., Methods: A questionnaire was sent to all care homes in Sussex, asking about management of diarrhoea and related infection control practices., Results: Response rate was 41%. Residents with diarrhoea were reported to be isolated promptly in 36% of homes, and 78.2% of homes reported always wearing appropriate personal protective equipment. Most homes waited over 24 h before sending stool samples for testing. Human waste was disposed of by automated sluice in only 26% of care homes. Bedpans were washed in residents' sinks in 20.7% of residential homes, and in communal baths in 9.6%., Conclusion: This study shows that most care homes are not fully compliant with current infection prevention and control guidance, and that some unacceptable practices are occurring. In order to reduce potential for transmission of CDI and other diarrhoeal infection in care homes, infection prevention and control practices must be improved, with early diagnosis and control.

The objectives of this article were to review the causes and extent of hospital-associated infectious diarrhea and associated risks in the general hospital ward and intensive care unit (ICU), to compare microorganisms with similar symptoms to aid in recognition that will lead to timely and appropriate treatment and control measures, and to propose infection prevention protocols that could decrease human process errors in the ICU. This literature review describes epidemiology, comparison of microbial characteristics for potential hospital-associated enteric pathogens, diagnosis, and prevention, especially if important in the ICU, and particularly in regard to Clostridium difficile. Enteric organisms that most commonly cause hospital-associated infectious diarrhea in acute care settings and the ICU are C. difficile, rotavirus, and norovirus, although others may also be important, particularly in developing countries. To recognize and control infectious diarrhea successfully in the ICU, intensivists should be aware that epidemiology, risks, and prevention measures may differ between these microorganisms. In addition, intensivists should be ready to implement systems changes related to notification, isolation precautions and prevention, and environmental cleaning in the ICU.

Healthcare-associated infections affect 1.4 million patients at any time worldwide, as estimated by the World Health Organization. In intensive care units, the burden of healthcare-associated infections is greatly increased, causing additional morbidity and mortality. Multidrug-resistant pathogens are commonly involved in such infections and render effective treatment challenging. Proper hand hygiene is the single most important, simplest, and least expensive means of preventing healthcare-associated infections. In addition, it is equally important to stop transmission of multidrug-resistant pathogens. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization guidelines on hand hygiene in health care, alcohol-based handrub should be used as the preferred means for routine hand antisepsis. Alcohols have excellent in vitro activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including multidrug-resistant pathogens, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a variety of fungi, and most viruses. Some pathogens, however, such as Clostridium difficile, Bacillus anthracis, and noroviruses, may require special hand hygiene measures. Failure to provide user friendliness of hand hygiene equipment and shortage of staff are predictors for noncompliance, especially in the intensive care unit setting. Therefore, practical approaches to promote hand hygiene in the intensive care unit include provision of a minimal number of handrub dispensers per bed, monitoring of compliance, and choice of the most attractive product. Lack of knowledge of guidelines for hand hygiene, lack of recognition of hand hygiene opportunities during patient care, and lack of awareness of the risk of cross-transmission of pathogens are barriers to good hand hygiene practices. Multidisciplinary programs to promote increased use of alcoholic handrub lead to an increased compliance of healthcare workers with the recommended hand hygiene practices and a reduced prevalence of nosocomial infections.

This article examines risk factors, pathogenesis, symptoms and management of Clostridium difficile infection, which is the major cause of enteric infections among people aged over 65 years in healthcare settings. Symptoms range from mild to profuse watery diarrhoea, which may be accompanied by severe life-threatening inflammation of the intestine. Transmission is by the faecal-oral route, via the hands of health workers and from environmental reservoirs. Eradication is difficult because C. difficile forms spores that survive for months in dust and on surfaces. Strategies to prevent and control C. difficile include thorough hand hygiene, isolation precautions, environmental cleaning and restricted use of broad spectrum antibiotics.

The prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) requires a tripartite partnership between clinicians and carers, managers and government/Department of Health (DoH) across the whole health and social care community. Mandatory surveillance of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia and Clostridium difficile infection has shown a significant fall from peak numbers in 2003/04 and 2006, respectively, and there is now a zero tolerance approach to preventable infections and poor practice. Success so far has been based on senior management commitment, enhanced real-time surveillance, implementation of clinical protocols (high impact interventions, prudent prescribing), improved hand hygiene and environmental cleaning, and training and audit, backed up by a heightened performance management focus through targets and legislation (Code of Practice). DoH improvement teams have supported National Health Service trusts in implementing change. Responsibility for managing HCAI is a combination of managerial responsibility based upon compliance assurance that procedures and protocols are being implemented and personal professional responsibility of all clinicians and other healthcare workers.

Despite record resource being devoted to the control of healthcare-acquired infection (HCAI), rates have never been higher. Although the discovery of the contagiousness of puerperal sepsis by Alexander Gordon heralded the golden era of bacteriology and antibiotics, this led to a belief that infection was beaten. This in its turn may well have led us into a false sense of security and an over-reliance on antibiotics. Modern medicine has built many of its advances on a need for antibiotics, but their very success has led to huge over-use and resulting problems of resistance. Compounded by the absence of a good antibiotic pipeline we are now being forced to address the paradox of antibiotics; namely that they may actually be causing many HCAIs. Not only Clostridium difficile infection, but many others such as those caused by meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, are more or less completely contingent on antibiotic prescribing. Control of prescribing would probably be just as effective a measure in our fight against HCAI as conventional infection control measures. Arguably, traditional infection control is akin to fire-fighting and antibiotic stewardship to prevention.

Background: The incidence and severity of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) are increasing, and previously described interventions for controlling the spread of CDI are not easily generalized to multiple healthcare institutions., Objective: We tested prevention and treatment bundles to decrease the incidence of CDI and the mortality associated with CDI at our hospital., Design: Observational before-after study of adult patients admitted to a tertiary care, university-affiliated hospital during the period from January 2004 through December 2008., Methods: In January 2006, we launched an educational campaign and introduced a prevention bundle-a series of specific processes aimed at preventing the transmission of C. difficile among hospitalized patients, including enhanced isolation practices, laboratory notification procedures, and steps coordinating infection control and environmental services activities. In April 2006, we implemented a treatment bundle-a set of hospital-wide treatment practices aimed at minimizing the risk of serious CDI complications. We tracked quarterly incidence rates and case-fatality rates for healthcare-associated CDI cases at our hospital. Our main outcome was the healthcare-associated CDI incidence rate, measured as the number of healthcare-associated cases of CDI per 1,000 patient-days., Results: We followed patients for a total of 1,047,849 patient-days. The healthcare-associated CDI incidence rates fell from an average of 1.10 cases per 1,000 patient-days before intervention to 0.66 cases per 1,000 patient-days after intervention. This statistically significant decrease amounts to a 40% reduction in incidence after the intervention., Conclusions: Our intervention was successful in reducing the incidence of CDI at our hospital. On the basis of our experience, we propose the use of a checklist of hospital interventions to decrease the incidence of healthcare-associated CDI.

Clostridium difficile is a spore-forming anaerobe belonging to the family Clostridium, with the bacteria being found in low numbers in approximately 5% of the healthy adult population. Together with meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, it is a major healthcare-associated infection and is responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality. Antibiotics administered to patients can alter normal gut flora, allowing the proliferation of C. difficile and causing antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and colitis. Such diarrhoea, if severe, can lead to dangerous dehydration and even hypovolaemia, especially in the elderly. To limit the physiological impact of diarrhoea, it is sometimes necessary to administer intravenous therapy. Although good clinical practice demands that infection control should be considered in all clinical situations, specific infection control procedures need to be adhered to when administering intravenous therapy to patients with C. difficile.

Background: In October 2004, our Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) rate increased (relative risk, 3.51; 95% confidence interval: 2.96-4.16) from a baseline rate of 1.35 per 1000 patient-days. We describe the outbreak, the relationship between antibiotic use and CDI, and the effect of enhanced infection control measures (EICM) on CDI., Methods: Rates were calculated as positive C difficile toxin A or B tests among patients with nosocomial diarrhea per 1000 patient-days (duplicates removed). Antibiotic use was calculated as defined daily dose per 1000 patient-days. EICM consisted of (1) placing patients with diarrhea into empiric Contact Precautions, (2) cleaning with a bleach product in areas with CDI patients, and (3) requiring soap and water hand hygiene when caring for CDI patients. CDI rates were analyzed by chi(2) for trend. Time series methodology was used to examine the association between CDI and antibiotic use., Results: During the outbreak (October 2004-May 2005), we observed 144 excess cases of CDI. The CDI rate decreased after EICM were implemented (P < .0001) and has been maintained for 36 months beyond the outbreak. Multivariate analysis revealed positive associations between CDI rates and cefazolin use (P = .008) and levofloxacin/gatifloxacin use (P = .015)., Conclusion: Despite an association between some antibiotic use and CDI rates, we achieved sustained control of an outbreak using EICM without formulary changes or new antibiotic control policies. This suggests that patient-to-patient spread may be a more important cause of increased CDI rates.

Background: A series of infection control measures were introduced at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust in 2006-2007 to reduce the incidence of Clostridium difficile infection., Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of these measures on the incidence of C. difficile and to record the associated mortality in hip fracture patients., Patients and Methods: A case matched comparison of mortality was conducted between C. difficile positive patients and C. difficile negative patients admitted with a hip fracture between 1st January 2003 and 30th September 2007. An interrupted time series analysis was performed to assess the effect of various infection control policies on the incidence of C. difficile infection., Results: The interrupted time series analysis showed that the only effective measure was changing antimicrobial prophylaxis to Co-amoxiclav in May 2007. This reduced the incidence of C. difficile from 7.1 to 1.5% (p<0.001). Six-month mortality in C. difficile positive patients was 71% 1 year before introduction of a diarrhoea treatment policy and 65% 1 year after (p=0.5) indicating treatment was ineffective. A matched cohort comparison over a 57-month period from January 2003 to September 2007 showed that the 6-month mortality was 67% in 170 C. difficile positive patients, 27% in 3247 C. difficile negative patients and 29% in the 170 C. difficile negative matched patients., Conclusion: This 38% excess mortality indicated that C. difficile increased mortality and did not simply colonise the sickest patients. Changing prophylaxis to Co-amoxiclav was the most effective measure. This reduced the incidence of C. difficile by 80% and thus reduced mortality by prevention rather than cure.

During a 22-month period at a 500-bed teaching hospital, 1,565 rooms that had housed patients infected with multidrug-resistant pathogens were decontaminated using hydrogen peroxide vapor. Hydrogen peroxide vapor decontamination required a mean time of 2 hours and 20 minutes, compared with 32 minutes for conventional cleaning. Despite the greater time required for decontamination, hydrogen peroxide vapor decontamination of selected patient rooms is feasible in a busy hospital with a mean occupancy rate of 94%.

Background: We carried out a survey to identify the infection prevention and control practices in place in Canadian hospitals participating in the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program (CNISP)., Methods: An infection prevention and control practices survey was sent to CNISP hospitals at the beginning of November 2004, the same time that CNISP started a 6-month prospective surveillance for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) to evaluate their infection prevention and control measures and laboratory methods for C difficile., Results: A total of 33 hospitals completed and returned the survey. Infection control precautions were initiated in 18 hospitals (55%) due to the presence of a symptomatic patient before the C difficile laboratory tests were available. All of the hospitals used gloves and gowns as additional precautions. Twenty-three hospitals (70%) tested liquid stools based on a clinician's order, and 8 (24%) tested all liquid stools submitted whether of not C difficile testing was requested. The hospitals used 1 of 3 different products as a standard hospital-wide disinfectant; 24 (73%) used a quaternary ammonium compound, 8 (24%) used accelerated hydrogen peroxide, and 1 (3%) used a hypochlorite solution (1:10 bleach solution)., Conclusion: Although the hospitals used contact precautions quite uniformly, considerable variation was seen among hospitals in terms of testing strategies, cleaning and disinfection protocols and products, and isolation practices. The timing for the initiation of infection control precautions is important to prevent secondary transmission of CDI. Most of the hospitals implemented precautions while waiting for the toxin assay results.

Objective: At the end of 2002, a new, more virulent strain of Clostridium difficile, designated BI/NAP1, was the cause of a massive outbreak of infection in the province of Quebec. This particular strain was associated with a dramatic increase in morbidity and mortality among affected patients in 2003-2004. We tested and implemented a multipronged infection control approach to curtail the rate of C. difficile infection (CDI)., Design: Five-year observational study., Setting: A 554-bed, acute care tertiary hospital, the largest single medical center in Quebec, Canada., Methods: To curtail the magnitude of the outbreak, we implemented a global strategy consisting of rapid C. difficile testing for all hospitalized patients who had at least 1 occurrence of liquid stool, the rapid isolation of patients infected with C. difficile in a dedicated ward with a specially trained housekeeping team, a global hand hygiene program, and the hiring of infection control practitioners. Antibiotic consumption at the institutional level was also monitored during the 5-year surveillance period. Cases of hospital-acquired CDI per 1,000 admissions were continuously monitored on a monthly basis during the entire surveillance period., Results: The highest recorded CDI rate was 42 cases per 1,000 admissions in January 2004. Once additional infection control resources were put in place, the rate decreased significantly during the period from April 2005 to March 2007. During the 2003-2004 period, there were 762 cases of CDI (mean annual rate, 37.28 cases per 1,000 admissions) recorded in our study, compared with 292 cases of CDI (14.48 cases per 1,000 admissions) during the 2006-2007 period (OR, 0.379 [95% CI, 0.331-0.435]; p< .001), a 61% reduction. In March 2007, the equivalent of 4 full-time equivalent infection control practitioners were in place, which gave a ratio of 0.96 infection control practitioners per 133 beds in use, compared with the ratio of 0.24 infection control practitioners per 133 beds in use in 2003, and the total number of hours dedicated to cleaning and housekeeping increased by 26.2%. The total amount of antibiotics used in the hospital did not vary significantly from 2002 to 2007, although there were changes in the classes antibiotic used., Conclusion: The implementation of a multipronged intervention strategy to control the outbreak of CDI significantly improved the overall situation at the hospital and underlined the importance of investing in stringent infection control practices.

Gardam, Lemieux, Reason, van Dijk and Goel argue that healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are "a pressing and imminent concern in the context of patient safety." Accreditation Canada supports the position taken by these authors. The prevention and control of two HAIs of great concern, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium difficile, are an integral part of the Accreditation Canada program. A coordinated approach to combating HAIs and developing a culture of infection prevention and control is necessary, one that involves front-line healthcare professionals, senior leadership, national and provincial partners and the public. Since 2005, Accreditation Canada has increasingly strengthened the accreditation program in this area through a number of new strategies, including enhanced standards, required organizational practices, performance measures and indicators and the introduction of education programs. Optimizing the value of accreditation through an integrative approach with organizations' quality improvement programs will contribute to effectively combating HAIs and developing a culture of infection prevention and control.

Clostridium difficile is not affected by alcohol-based hand rubs or most cleaning solutions. As a result, it spreads quickly and easily. Spores can survive for months on environmental surfaces. Epidemics of hypervirulent mutations in the United States, Canada, and Europe are causing life-threatening infections, with rising mortality rates. This article aims to teach home health clinicians what they need to know to protect patients, families, themselves, and the community beyond the patient's home.