Capturing the environment of the Clostridioides difficile infection cycle
Clostridioides difficile (formerly Clostridium difficile) infection is a substantial health and economic burden worldwide. Great strides have been made over the past several years in characterizing the physiology of C. difficile infection, particularly regarding how gut microorganisms and their host work together to provide colonization resistance. As mammalian hosts and their indigenous gut microbiota have co-evolved, they have formed a complex yet stable relationship that prevents invading microorganisms from establishing themselves. In this Review, we discuss the latest advances in our understanding of C. difficile phys...
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - August 19, 2022 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Matching Clostridioides difficile strains obtained from shoe soles of healthcare workers epidemiologically linked to patients and confirmed by whole-genome sequencing
Conclusions: HCWs ' shoe soles were positive in 17.8% with C. difficile strains linked epidemiologically and confirmed by WGS to infected patients suggesting potential transmission by HCWs ' shoe soles. This pilot study provides sufficient evidence to further evaluate this potential mode of healthcare-associated transmission of C. difficile by a larger clinical trial. (Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH))
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - August 19, 2022 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Validation of Clinical Risk Models for Clostridioides difficile - Attributable Outcomes
Clostridioides difficile is the leading health care-associated pathogen, leading to substantial morbidity and mortality; however, there is no widely accepted model to predict C. difficile infection severity. Most currently available models perform poorly or were calibrated to predict outcomes that are not clinically relevant. We sought to validate six of the leading risk models (Age Treatment Leukocyte Albumin Serum Creatinine (ATLAS), C. difficile Disease (CDD), Zar, Hensgens, Shivashankar, and C. difficile Severity Score (CDSS)), guideline severity criteria, and PCR cycle threshold for predicting C. difficile-attributabl...
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - July 28, 2022 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

In pursuit of the holy grail: Improving C. difficile testing appropriateness with iterative electronic health record clinical decision support and targeted test restriction
Conclusions: Test restriction was more effective than EHR-based clinical decision support to reduce C. difficile testing in our 3-hospital system. (Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH))
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - July 20, 2022 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Use of diagnostic and antimicrobial stewardship practices to improve Clostridioides difficile testing among SHEA Research Network hospitals
We surveyed acute-care hospitals on strategies to reduce inappropriate C. difficile testing and treatment of colonized patients. Decision support during C. difficile test ordering was common, but " hard stops " to prevent placement of inappropriate orders and active intervention of antimicrobial stewardship programs on positive C. difficile test reports were infrequent. (Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH))
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - July 20, 2022 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Targeting Clostridioides difficile: New uses for old drugs
Clostridioides difficile bacteria can cause life-threatening diarrhea and colitis owing to limited treatment options and unacceptably high recurrence rates among infected patients. This necessitates the development of alternative routes for C. difficile treatment. Drug repurposing with new indications represents a proven shortcut. Here, we present a refined focus on 16 FDA-approved drugs that would be suitable for further development as potential anti-C. difficile drugs. Of these drugs, clinical trials have been conducted on five currently used drugs; however, ursodeoxycholic acid is the only drug to enter Phase IV clinica...
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - July 20, 2022 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Global trends in gut microbiota and clostridioides difficile infection research: A visualized study.
Conclusions: Gut microbiota and CDI is likely to remain a prominent area of research in the foreseeable future. Current research hotspots ( " fecal microbiota transplantation, " " colonization resistance, " and " multidrug-resistant bacteria " ) should receive even more attention in future studies. (Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH))
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - July 20, 2022 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Characterization of C difficile Infections Among Adults Characterization of C difficile Infections Among Adults
How do the characteristics of adult patients with healthcare-associated C. difficile compare to those with community-associated infections?Emerging Infectious Diseases (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)
Source: Medscape Today Headlines - July 7, 2022 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Infectious Diseases Journal Article Source Type: news

Consumer Health: Understanding C. diff infection
Clostridioides difficile is a bacterium that causes an infection of the large intestine. The bacterium is often referred to as C. difficile or C. diff. Some people carry C. diff bacteria in their intestines but never become sick. They are carriers of the bacteria and may spread infections. Illness from C. diff typically occurs after using antibiotics. It most commonly affects older adults in hospitals or long-term care facilities. About 200,000 people in the U.S.… (Source: News from Mayo Clinic)
Source: News from Mayo Clinic - May 31, 2022 Category: Databases & Libraries Source Type: news

Bacterial Cocktail, Spores Counter Recurrent C difficile Bacterial Cocktail, Spores Counter Recurrent C difficile
Both the complex mixture and specific, refined spores may hold promise in reducing recurrences, and may circumvent fecal microbiota transplants.Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Gastroenterology Headlines)
Source: Medscape Gastroenterology Headlines - May 24, 2022 Category: Gastroenterology Tags: Gastroenterology News Source Type: news

Clostridioides difficile toxins: mechanisms of action and antitoxin therapeutics
Clostridioides difficile is a Gram-positive anaerobe that can cause a spectrum of disorders that range in severity from mild diarrhoea to fulminant colitis and/or death. The bacterium produces up to three toxins, which are considered the major virulence factors in C. difficile infection. These toxins promote inflammation, tissue damage and diarrhoea. In this Review, we highlight recent biochemical and structural advances in our understanding of the mechanisms that govern host-toxin interactions. Understanding how C. difficile toxins affect the host forms a foundation for developing novel strategies for treatment and preven...
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - May 20, 2022 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Clostridium difficile Infection Does Not Impact Outcomes in Stroke Patients
This study investigates incidence, patient characteristics, clinical features, and outcomes of CDI following stroke, including ischemic stroke (IS), intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).; (Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH))
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - May 20, 2022 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Notes from the Field: Escherichia coli O157:H7 Outbreak in Children with Clostridioides difficile Colonization Associated with an Improperly Treated Swimming Pool - Pennsylvania, June 2021
This report describes an E. coli outbreak associated with a swimming pool. (Source: CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report)
Source: CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report - May 19, 2022 Category: American Health Tags: C. difficile Children's Health Clostridium difficile Infection E. coli Infection MMWR Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report Outbreaks Recreational Water Illness (RWI) Water Treatment Water-Related Diseases Source Type: news

Understanding Toxin Testing Results for C diff Understanding Toxin Testing Results for C diff
Testing stool samples for C difficile exotoxins A and B is frequently used to diagnose a C difficile infection, but clinicians need a greater understanding of what the results mean.Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines)
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines - May 6, 2022 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Infectious Diseases News Source Type: news

Pigs can pass deadly superbugs to people, study reveals
Research into C difficile found antibiotic resistance is growing as a result of overuse on farm stockScientists have uncovered evidence that dangerous versions of superbugs can spread from pigs to humans. The discovery underlines fears that intensive use of antibiotics on farms is leading to the spread of microbes resistant to them.The discovery of the link has been made by Semeh Bejaoui and Dorte Frees of Copenhagen University and Soren Persson at Denmark ’s Statens Serum Institute and focuses on the superbugClostridioides difficile, which is considered one of the world ’s major antibiotic resistance threats.Continue ...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - April 24, 2022 Category: Science Authors: Robin McKie Science editor Tags: Antibiotics Farming Infectious diseases Microbiology Science Health Epidemics UK news Medical research World news Source Type: news