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New "C. diff" strain more toxic
LTC Liability Monitor, May 25, 2005
A more toxic strain of Clostridium difficile--a bacteria usually found in hospitals and nursing homes but not in the general population--appears to be spreading outside the healthcare setting and becoming more virulent, according to the Akron [OH] Beacon Journal. The new strain is believed to have killed more than 100 patients in Quebec hospitals in six months. The bacteria typically takes hold among nursing home residents and hospital patients using antibiotics. The bacteria causes severe diarrhea and sometimes colon damage. The new strain has spread to Ohio, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, New Jersey and Oregon. The rise in "C. diff" infections has caused hospitals to limit antibiotic use and tighten infection control procedures, including wearing gloves and gowns, using stethoscopes dedicated to only one patient, emphasizing room-disinfection techniques, and practicing proper hand-washing with soap and water, not alcohol-based hand cleaners, the newspaper reported.
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