New wipe may help reduce C. diff
The Clorox Healthcare Bleach Germicidal Wipes reduced C. difficile infection rates from 14.99 (per 10,000 patient days) to zero in a six-month period, according to a new study.
C. Diff
C. diff linked to food additive
Providers have been put on alert that a specific sugar added to hundreds of foods could fuel outbreaks of Clostridium difficile. Trehalose is a naturally occurring sugar used an additive for taste and shelf-stability, scientists report in the journal Nature. Easily and cheaply extracted from corn starch, it helps feed certain strains of C. diff.…
Scientists link modern food additive to explosion of C. diff
Long-term care providers might want to be on the lookout for a specific sugar added to hundreds of foods — especially during C. diff outbreaks.
Researchers testing C. diff vaccine in widespread trial
An international trial is examining the efficacy of a vaccine for C. difficile, the gut-destroying bacterium that is particularly dangerous to seniors.
CDC releases HAI Data: How are we doing?
For many years, healthcare institutions have been focused on different ways to decrease HAIs, as federal reimbursement initiatives loomed. So, what does this report card tell us? We’ve come a long way, baby, but there’s still a ways to go.
Invite in infectious disease docs to LTC
If I’m predisposed to being fond of infectious disease physicians, it’s because I believe they offer insight beyond that of a general practitioner. This is not to say that a long-term care facility’s medical director can’t handle a flu outbreak. But it is acknowledging that long-term care staff handles large caseloads with complex patients, and that more facilities should embrace partnerships with an ID physician.
C. diff vaccine moves closer to reality with launch of large Phase III trial
A potential Clostridium difficile vaccine performed well in initial tests and now has moved into a large Phase III trial, researchers announced today. The news from developer Sanofi Pasteur raises hopes that the antibiotic-resistant infection can be prevented in long-term care facilities and other settings where it has become a deadly scourge.
Frozen fecal transplants cure C. diff, could be a game-changer, researchers say
Fecal transplants to cure Clostridium difficile could become more common, following a trial that successfully used frozen stool specimens, according to researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Acute, post-acute partnerships reduce C. diff about 50% in Washington state
Hospitals and post-acute facilities in Washington state have cut their rate of Clostridium difficile infections in half since 2012 by partnering with each other in a robust infection control program, according to local news reports.
Budgeting for hand hygiene
One of my former colleagues, who had moved to the healthcare sector from television, shared with me the story of how she began her new job and was told, “Oh, yeah, you can figure out the budget, right?” Administrators with limited budgeting experience might hesitate to make big investments, but when it comes to hand hygiene, spending a little more today could lead to big savings down the line.
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