Reporting and Reducing Clostridioides Difficile in Nursing Homes

Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) definition: “a germ (bacteria) that causes life-threatening diarrhea. It is usually a side-effect of taking antibiotics.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2015 report, over 100,000 C. difficile infections (CDI) occur in the U.S. nursing home population yearly. Approximately 29,000 patients died 30 days post-diagnosis of CDI with about 15,000 deaths being directly attributable to CDI; over 80% of mortalities related to CDI happen in residents aged 65 and above.
Source: Journal of the American Medical Directors Association - Category: Health Management Authors: Source Type: research