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CDI increases mortality in patients five-fold

Accreditation Insider, December 8, 2015

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A study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association found heightened morbidity and mortality rates in patients who developed Clostridium difficile infections (C.diff) post-surgery. Morbidity rates jumped from 7.1% to 86% in patients who contracted C.diff with mortality rates went from 1% to 5.3%.
Out of the 468,386 operations studied, 0.4% contracted C.diff within 30 days after surgery, though infection rates varied between different types of surgical procedures. The highest risk operations were emergency procedures (1.4%) and organ transplants (2.4%). Kidney and lung transplant patients had the highest risks of getting C.diff at 2.6% and 3.1% respectively.
The elderly and patients who’d been given three or more antibiotics pre-surgery were found to be more susceptible to C.diff. Another risk factor was when an intraoperative wounds became infected or contaminated.
To reduce C.diff rates, researchers recommend healthcare personnel:
•    Conduct early testing of vulnerable patients
•    Be more selective in issuing multiple types of antibiotics pre-surgery.
•    Use non-alcohol solutions to wash their hands
•    Issue stronger environmental cleaning protocols.
 



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