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Laboratory surveillance method for nosocomial Clostridium difficile diarrhea
1Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, USA.
American Journal of Infection Control
|March 21, 1998
Summary
A new laboratory method efficiently tracks nosocomial diarrhea and Clostridium difficile diarrhea (CDD) without chart review. This approach aids infection control by providing faster data on CDD incidence.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Hospital Epidemiology
- Clinical Microbiology
Background:
- Clostridium difficile is a leading cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea.
- Traditional surveillance methods are often time-consuming.
- Efficient surveillance is crucial for infection control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a novel laboratory-based surveillance method for nosocomial diarrhea and Clostridium difficile diarrhea (CDD).
- To evaluate the epidemiology of these infections using the new method at a public hospital.
- To provide an alternative to traditional, chart-review-intensive surveillance.
Main Methods:
- Assumed all nosocomial diarrhea cases undergo C. difficile toxin assay.
- Used toxin assay frequency as a surrogate for diarrhea incidence.
- Applied exclusion criteria to distinguish nosocomial CDD from community-acquired or recurrent cases.
- Monitored Cytoclone A and B enzyme immunoassay results from 1993-1996.
Main Results:
- Nosocomial diarrhea incidence remained stable across study years.
- The frequency of nosocomial CDD episodes per 100 diarrhea episodes significantly decreased over time (p=0.003).
- Median time to onset of nosocomial CDD was approximately 12-14 days post-admission.
Conclusions:
- The laboratory-based surveillance method appears valid for tracking nosocomial diarrhea and CDD.
- This method offers a viable alternative to traditional surveillance, potentially freeing up resources.
- Further development of such methods is essential for effective infection prevention efforts.