Ohio Reports C. diff Rates
The Ohio Department of Health released a report (pdf) on March 7th detailing infection rates of Clostridium difficile (C. diff). The report contained results from the first year of monitoring rates collected from Ohio hospitals and nursing homes.
In 2006, the report estimated approximately 14,300 cases throughout Ohio. The rate of initial infections for hospitals was 7-8 infections per 10,000 hospital days and 1-2 infections per 10,000 days in nursing homes. The recurrent infection rates were similar across both types of facilities.
The State also initiated training activities to increase awareness of best practices for prevention and treatment, focusing efforts in long term care facilities in 2006. The surveillance system developed by the State will hep identify outbreaks so that healthcare teams can mobilize response early.
C. diff can be deadly, but most often results in diarrhea. Infections are a well known byproduct of antibiotics that destroy healthy bacteria in the intestinal tract. More virulent strains of C. diff appeared in both the U.S. and Canada during 2004 with increased morbidity and mortality. C. diff related deaths in 2005 increased over 300 percent from the previous year; 473 patient deaths were reported for 2005.
March 9, 2007 Related topics: Infectious Diseases, Quality, Safety, Errors