Home

  • Home
    • » e-Newsletters

C. diff causing more illnesses and deaths

Infection Control Monitor, May 30, 2008

The number of people hospitalized with C. diff-associated disease (CDAD) has been growing by more than 10,000 cases a year, according to a new study.

The study, published in the June issue of the CDC’s Emerging Infectious Diseases, found that CDAD played a role in nearly 300,000 hospitalizations in 2005, more than double the number in 2000.

“The nature of this infection is changing. It's more severe," L. Clifford McDonald, MD, a CDC expert who was not part of the study, told the Associated Press. The study concluded 2.3% of the cases in 2004 were fatal, about 5,500 deaths. That was nearly double the percentage of C. diff-related cases that ended in death in 2000. Click here to read the study.

Most Popular