C. Difficile

C. diff infections reach historically high rates, report finds

McKnight's Staff March 07, 2012

While infection control strategies have helped reduce healthcare facility-acquired infections in recent years, Clostridium difficile infections have reached unacceptably high rates, a new report finds.

FDA approves infection-fighting drug

May 31, 2011

Optimer Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced that the Food and Drug Administration has approved its antibiotic Dificid for the treatment of Clostridium difficile infection. Dificid is the first drug to be cleared to treat the disease in nearly 30 years.

New C. diff surgery could save lives

April 25, 2011

A new procedure for patients with severe Clostridium difficile colitis may allow them to have a higher chance of survival and preserve their colon.

New C. difficile drug is one step closer to approval

April 07, 2011

A new antibiotic designed to treat the diarrhea that accompanies Clostridium difficile won unanimous support from a government medical panel convened by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

CMS updates C. difficile infection control guidance

December 16, 2009

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently modified its infection control guidance concerning C. difficile. The update corrects certain information from a Nov. 30 update.

C. difficile infecting more elderly outside of nursing homes, research finds

November 09, 2009

C. difficile, a bacteria common in nursing homes and hospitals, has been afflicting more and more people outside of healthcare settings—especially the elderly, according to new research.

Misconceptions make diagnosing C. Difficile more difficult, researchers say

August 05, 2009

Both the rate and severity of C. Difficile infection have risen in recent years as accurate diagnoses have become harder to make, according to a new study.

Research: antibiotic treatment increases risk of C. difficile spread

July 21, 2009

Treating C. difficile with antibiotics could actually increase a person's risk of transmitting the bacteria, even weeks after physical symptoms have disappeared, according to recently published research.