C. difficile infections area top issues in infection control and gastroenterology. Two recent studies examined C. difficile epidemiology and sources of transmission, according to a Medscape report.
The two studies are titled "Diverse Sources of C. difficile Infection Identified on Whole-Genome Sequencing" and "Use of Multilocus Variable Number of Tandem Repeats Analysis Genotyping to Determine the Role of Asymptomatic Carriers of Clostridium difficile Transmission."
The first study found:
• 38 percent of patients with related isolates came into close hospital contact with another patient
• 46 percent of patients had no hospital-based contact
• 45 percent of the C. difficile cases were genetically distinct from all prior cases
The second study found:
• Of the patients screened, 10.4 percent tested positive for toxigenic C. difficile
• Transmission from previous room occupants occurred in four patients
Though a significant percent of CDI cases can be linked to healthcare, the studies demonstrate that some cases of CDI lack and epidemiologic link to the healthcare environment.
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The two studies are titled "Diverse Sources of C. difficile Infection Identified on Whole-Genome Sequencing" and "Use of Multilocus Variable Number of Tandem Repeats Analysis Genotyping to Determine the Role of Asymptomatic Carriers of Clostridium difficile Transmission."
The first study found:
• 38 percent of patients with related isolates came into close hospital contact with another patient
• 46 percent of patients had no hospital-based contact
• 45 percent of the C. difficile cases were genetically distinct from all prior cases
The second study found:
• Of the patients screened, 10.4 percent tested positive for toxigenic C. difficile
• Transmission from previous room occupants occurred in four patients
Though a significant percent of CDI cases can be linked to healthcare, the studies demonstrate that some cases of CDI lack and epidemiologic link to the healthcare environment.
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