Can Enhanced Hospital Disinfection Prevent Clostridium difficile?

A comparative trial found that more rigorous environmental cleaning did not impact the rate of hospital-acquired C. difficile infection.

Hospitals are now devoting substantial resources to try to prevent hospital-acquired Clostridium difficile infections (HA-CDIs; NEJM JW Infect Dis Apr 2017 and Lancet 2017; 389:805; NEJM JW Infect Dis Apr 2017 and Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017 38:39). Given the extensive literature documenting environmental contamination in hospital with C. difficile spores as well as patient carriage of C. difficile after hospital discharge, it would seem logical that intensifying environmental disinfection in the hospital setting should reduce the incidence of HA-CDI.

To test this hypothesis, investigators conducted a prospective 12-month trial in 15 hospitals to assess whether enhanced disinfection, accomplished through monitoring and provision of fe…

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

Can Enhanced Hospital Disinfection Prevent Clostridium difficile?

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Reviewing Author