Clostridiodes difficile infection FAQ (adapted from CDC)

CDIFF BUNDLE FOR ORLANDO HEALTH (2019-2020) - below

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What is Clostridiodes difficile infection (CDI)?

  • Clostridiodes/Clostridium difficile or C. diff is a species of bacteria whose toxins primarily affect the colon and causes an infection (CDI) with symptoms that range from diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation of the colon.

  • CDI is associated with the use of prolonged use of certain antibiotics, such as Clindamycin and Ampicillin, which reduce the normal intestinal flora and allows for overgrowth of C. diff. 

  • C. diff causes nearly half a million infections in a single year, and approximately 15,000 deaths are directly attributed to CDI.

What are the risk factors associated with CDI?

  • Older age

  • Prolonged hospital stay

  • Recent antibiotic use

  • Improper hand hygiene

  • History of previous CDI

What are the recommended guidelines for preventing CDI?

  • Use of contact precautions

(OHI CDI BUNDLE or LINK)

What steps can patients and team members take to prevent CDI?

  • All individuals interacting with the patient should use personal protective equipment (PPE), which includes donning a gown and gloves.

  • Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after leaving the room.

    • Using hand sanitizer is insufficient at preventing CDI as it does not kill or remove potential spores that may be left in your hands.

How do I diagnose the condition? What other things are in the differential diagnosis?

  • Common signs and symptoms of CDI include:

    • Diarrhea

    • Abdominal pain or discomfort

    • Fever

    • Leukocytosis

How do I treat/manage the clinical condition?

  • Treatment of CDI includes immediate cessation of current antibiotic regimen and initiation of appropriate therapy for C. diff coverage.

  • Empiric antibiotic therapy is not advised.

What complications are associated with CDI?

  • The most important and life-threatening complications of CDI involve complications with the colon and interruption of its normal function. The immediate concern is the progression to pseudomembrane colitis, which is more challenging to treat than CDI.

  • Additional complications include toxic megacolon, dehydration, hypovolemic shock, and sepsis.

Who else can I call for more information?

  • Hospital Epidemiologist – Asim Jani, MD, MPH : (407) 230-9015 (24/7 cell)

  • Director, Infection Prevention – Eve Early MT, MA, CIC - (678) 789-6461

  • Infection Prevention (hospital specific and/or on call): PerfectServe

  • Director, Occupational Health – Ken Michaels, DO: (321) 841-8056

What are some additional resources to learn more (online links and literature)?

FAQs:

Videos and Podcasts:

Journals:

UpToDate: