Article Type
Changed
Display Headline
C. difficile Infection Surpasses MRSA in Community Hospitals

ATLANTA — Hospital-onset Clostridium difficile infection was more common than infection due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a study of 28 community hospitals.

The finding comes from an analysis of data from the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network. The analysis also showed that health care–associated C. difficile infection (CDI) occurs approximately as often as health care–associated bloodstream infections or combined device-related infections, Dr. Becky Miller reported at the 2010 International Decennial Conference on Healthcare-Associated Infections.

Many infection control initiatives have targeted methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and have not been aimed at CDI. Also, most of the previous studies on health care–associated infections were done at large tertiary care facilities rather than smaller community hospitals where most U.S. patients receive care. “We feel that studies done in community hospitals are relevant from an epidemiologic standpoint,” said Dr. Miller, an infectious disease fellow at Duke University, Chapel Hill, N.C.

In an analysis of more than 3 million patient-days during the 24-month period from Jan. 1, 2008, through Dec. 31, 2009, there were 847 cases of hospital-onset, health care facility–associated CDIs and 680 cases due to MRSA. (For brevity, Dr. Miller referred to these as nosocomial infections during her presentation.)

There were 838 cases of hospitalwide bloodstream infection, 251 cases of ICU catheter-associated bloodstream infections, 132 cases of ICU ventilator-associated pneumonia, and 298 cases of ICU catheter-associated urinary tract infection.

The rate of nosocomial CDI was 0.28/1,000 patient-days, while the rate of nosocomial infection due to MRSA was 0.23/1,000 patient-days and the rate of hospitalwide bloodstream infections was 0.28/1,000 patient-days. The rate of nosocomial CDI was about 25% higher than the rate of such infections due to MRSA, and about 25% higher than the rate of combined ICU device-related infections. The CDI rate also was about as common as hospitalwide nosocomial bloodstream infections, Dr. Miller reported.

In an interview, Dr. Miller said MRSA declined steadily during the 5-year period from 2005 through 2009, while CDI declined initially until 2007, then rose and surpassed MRSA in 2009. “Development of effective prevention strategies for this emerging infection is needed,” she said.

Disclosures: Dr. Miller stated that she had nothing to disclose.

Article PDF
Author and Disclosure Information

Topics
Author and Disclosure Information

Author and Disclosure Information

Article PDF
Article PDF

ATLANTA — Hospital-onset Clostridium difficile infection was more common than infection due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a study of 28 community hospitals.

The finding comes from an analysis of data from the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network. The analysis also showed that health care–associated C. difficile infection (CDI) occurs approximately as often as health care–associated bloodstream infections or combined device-related infections, Dr. Becky Miller reported at the 2010 International Decennial Conference on Healthcare-Associated Infections.

Many infection control initiatives have targeted methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and have not been aimed at CDI. Also, most of the previous studies on health care–associated infections were done at large tertiary care facilities rather than smaller community hospitals where most U.S. patients receive care. “We feel that studies done in community hospitals are relevant from an epidemiologic standpoint,” said Dr. Miller, an infectious disease fellow at Duke University, Chapel Hill, N.C.

In an analysis of more than 3 million patient-days during the 24-month period from Jan. 1, 2008, through Dec. 31, 2009, there were 847 cases of hospital-onset, health care facility–associated CDIs and 680 cases due to MRSA. (For brevity, Dr. Miller referred to these as nosocomial infections during her presentation.)

There were 838 cases of hospitalwide bloodstream infection, 251 cases of ICU catheter-associated bloodstream infections, 132 cases of ICU ventilator-associated pneumonia, and 298 cases of ICU catheter-associated urinary tract infection.

The rate of nosocomial CDI was 0.28/1,000 patient-days, while the rate of nosocomial infection due to MRSA was 0.23/1,000 patient-days and the rate of hospitalwide bloodstream infections was 0.28/1,000 patient-days. The rate of nosocomial CDI was about 25% higher than the rate of such infections due to MRSA, and about 25% higher than the rate of combined ICU device-related infections. The CDI rate also was about as common as hospitalwide nosocomial bloodstream infections, Dr. Miller reported.

In an interview, Dr. Miller said MRSA declined steadily during the 5-year period from 2005 through 2009, while CDI declined initially until 2007, then rose and surpassed MRSA in 2009. “Development of effective prevention strategies for this emerging infection is needed,” she said.

Disclosures: Dr. Miller stated that she had nothing to disclose.

ATLANTA — Hospital-onset Clostridium difficile infection was more common than infection due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a study of 28 community hospitals.

The finding comes from an analysis of data from the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network. The analysis also showed that health care–associated C. difficile infection (CDI) occurs approximately as often as health care–associated bloodstream infections or combined device-related infections, Dr. Becky Miller reported at the 2010 International Decennial Conference on Healthcare-Associated Infections.

Many infection control initiatives have targeted methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and have not been aimed at CDI. Also, most of the previous studies on health care–associated infections were done at large tertiary care facilities rather than smaller community hospitals where most U.S. patients receive care. “We feel that studies done in community hospitals are relevant from an epidemiologic standpoint,” said Dr. Miller, an infectious disease fellow at Duke University, Chapel Hill, N.C.

In an analysis of more than 3 million patient-days during the 24-month period from Jan. 1, 2008, through Dec. 31, 2009, there were 847 cases of hospital-onset, health care facility–associated CDIs and 680 cases due to MRSA. (For brevity, Dr. Miller referred to these as nosocomial infections during her presentation.)

There were 838 cases of hospitalwide bloodstream infection, 251 cases of ICU catheter-associated bloodstream infections, 132 cases of ICU ventilator-associated pneumonia, and 298 cases of ICU catheter-associated urinary tract infection.

The rate of nosocomial CDI was 0.28/1,000 patient-days, while the rate of nosocomial infection due to MRSA was 0.23/1,000 patient-days and the rate of hospitalwide bloodstream infections was 0.28/1,000 patient-days. The rate of nosocomial CDI was about 25% higher than the rate of such infections due to MRSA, and about 25% higher than the rate of combined ICU device-related infections. The CDI rate also was about as common as hospitalwide nosocomial bloodstream infections, Dr. Miller reported.

In an interview, Dr. Miller said MRSA declined steadily during the 5-year period from 2005 through 2009, while CDI declined initially until 2007, then rose and surpassed MRSA in 2009. “Development of effective prevention strategies for this emerging infection is needed,” she said.

Disclosures: Dr. Miller stated that she had nothing to disclose.

Topics
Article Type
Display Headline
C. difficile Infection Surpasses MRSA in Community Hospitals
Display Headline
C. difficile Infection Surpasses MRSA in Community Hospitals
Article Source

PURLs Copyright

Inside the Article

Article PDF Media