New Guidelines on Clostridium difficile Disease in Adults

The updated guidelines offer recommendations for recognizing, managing, and preventing C. difficile infection.

Target population: Individuals involved in infection control, including clinicians, laboratory workers, and hospital epidemiologists, as well as staff in medical offices, academic training programs, and medical schools

Sponsoring organizations: Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)

Type: Evidence-based consensus guidelines using a categorical rating system

Key points: These guidelines update the 1995 SHEA position paper on C. difficile infection. Specific recommendations are as follows.

Surveillance: C. difficile infections should be tracked in all inpatient healthcare facilities, and standardized case definitions should be used.
Diagnostic testing: Although more than 90% of U…

Reviewing Author

Richard T. Ellison III, MD

Disclosures

Consult/Advisory BoardAcurx Pharmaceuticals, LLC;

Grant/Research SupportDoctors Company Foundation, Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Richard T. Ellison III, MD

Disclosures

Consult/Advisory BoardAcurx Pharmaceuticals, LLC;

Grant/Research SupportDoctors Company Foundation, Massachusetts Department of Public Health