Reduction of C. difficile-associated disease using a multifaceted approach

Clostridioides difficile is recognised as the most common cause of healthcare-acquired diarrhoea and is a leading infectious cause of morbidity and mortality. The symptoms vary from mild diarrhoea to fulminating infection, leading to pseudomembranous colitis and death. In 2008, the Southern Health and Social Care Trust (SHSCT) noticed a rise in the number of new episodes of C. difficile infection (CDI). As a result, the SHSCT developed a multifaceted approach to reduce CDI, which decreased CDI episodes in hospitals from February 2009 onwards. The reduction of CDI episodes was noted in patients aged >65, per year, from 164 episodes in 2008-09 to 37 episodes in 2009-10, a 77% reduction within 1 year. The number of episodes of CDI continued to decrease until 2021/2022, a 64% reduction since 2008/09. In summary, the successful implementation of a multifaceted intervention strategy is needed to decrease the incidence of healthcare-acquired CDI.