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Skin and Environmental Contamination in Patients Diagnosed With Clostridium difficile Infection but Not Meeting Clinical Criteria for Testing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 August 2015

Sirisha Kundrapu ,
Venkata Sunkesula ,
Myreen Tomas  and
Curtis J. Donskey
Sirisha Kundrapu
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio
Venkata Sunkesula
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio
Myreen Tomas
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio
Curtis J. Donskey*
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio
*
Address correspondence to Curtis J. Donskey, MD, Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center 1110W, Cleveland VA Medical Center, 10701 East Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 ([email protected]).
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Abstract

Of 134 patients diagnosed with Clostridium difficile infection, 30 (22%) did not meet clinical criteria for testing because they lacked significant diarrhea or had alternative explanations for diarrhea and no recent antibiotic exposure. For these patients, skin and/or environmental contamination was common only in those with prior antibiotic exposure.

Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2015;36(11):1348–1350

Type
Concise Communications
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 36 , Issue 11 , November 2015 , pp. 1348 - 1350
Copyright
© 2015 by The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. All rights reserved 

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References

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