C. diff rates reach new high
Clostridium difficile infections have reached record high rates, a new report finds.Estimated death rates related to c. diff infections climbed to 14,000 in 2006-2007, from only 3,000 deaths per year in 1999-2000, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hospitalizations associated with c. diff are at historically high rates, at about 370,000 annually, at a cost of $1 billion to the healthcare system, the report states.
C. diff is pervasive in nursing homes, where 75% of facility-acquired cases first appear.
