Study shows C-diff infections may be on the rise
Accreditation Connection, March 29, 2010
The infections caused by the superbug, Clostridium difficile, better known as C-diff, often outnumber Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in hospitals, according to the New York Times. Not well known to the public, C-diff is resistant to many medications that usually ward off infection, is found in the spores in feces, and can cause diarrhea and colitis.
The study of 28 hospitals in the southeast found that the rate of hospital-acquired C-diff infections was 25% higher than the rate of hospital-acquired MRSA infections. MRSA remains the bigger threat, as it causes 18,000 deaths each year. However, experts say C-diff will be an infection to worry about in the years to come, as MRSA rates are declining.
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