Clostridioides Difficile

Clostridioides Difficile

Background

Clostridioides difficile (“C. difficile” or “C. diff”) is a type of bacteria (germ) that causes diarrhea. It is possible to carry  C. diff  bacteria in your body but not show any symptoms; this is called colonization. After treatment, repeat testing is not recommended if symptoms have resolved. This is because many people still have the bacteria. Those at the highest risk for C. diff infection are older adults on antibiotics for a long time. People with gastrointestinal conditions or prior surgery are at risk. The same is true for those with weakened immune systems or other chronic health conditions. Frequent hospitalization also raises the risk for C. diff infection.

Infection prevention is an important strategy to stop the transmission of C. difficile. This involves using antibiotics appropriately, implementing Contact Precautions, practicing good hand hygiene, and focusing on environmental cleaning and disinfection.

 

 

 

Educational Resources

VDH Infection Prevention and Control Assessments: The HAI/AR team is available to conduct a no-cost, non-regulatory, onsite visit to help a facility identify its infection prevention strengths and areas of opportunity.

American Academy of Pediatrics 

Environmental Protection Agency

Health Quality Innovation Network

Virginia Healthcare-Associated Infections Advisory Group

Virginia Infection Prevention Training Center

 

 

 

Patient Resources

 

 

 

Data & Reporting

  • CMS Care Compare – a searchable database of Medicare-certified facilities including hospitals and long-term acute care hospitals. Allows users to compare facilities on a variety of quality measures including C. difficile infections and other facility characteristics.
  • C. diff is a major threat. According to CDC’s 2019 Antimicrobial Resistance Threats Report, in 2017, there were an estimated 223,900 cases in hospitalized patients and 12,800 deaths in the United States.

National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN)

  • Resources related to reporting C. diff laboratory-identified events to NHSN are available on the CDC website, including protocols, data collection forms, and analysis resources.
  • Acute care hospital and long-term acute care hospital C. diff data can be accessed on the VDH HAI/AR Program Data website.

Virginia Communicable Disease & Outbreak Reporting Requirements

State regulatory code aligns Virginia’s healthcare-associated infection reporting requirements with those required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Acute care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, and long-term acute care hospitals report C. difficile laboratory-identified events to VDH via CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN).

Per the Regulations for Disease Reporting and Control, the following is reportable:

  • By facilities or programs licensed or operated by any agency of the Commonwealth, schools, child-care centers, and summer camps: Any suspected or confirmed outbreak
  • Suspected Outbreak Reporting Portal

For more information: Disease Reporting and Control Regulations page.

Last Updated: October 16, 2024