NICU Clostridioides difficile
Publication Date: August 30, 2018
Key Points
Key Points
- Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is among the most prevalent and important healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) affecting children, but reports of CDI in infants <12 months of age are rare, perhaps because of a relative resistance to the effects of C. difficile toxins or other protective factors in the intestinal environment of infants.
- Additionally, high colonization rates in infants (~35%) make interpretation of positive C. difficile tests in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) patients uniquely challenging.
- For these reasons, the authors do not recommend routine testing for C. difficile in NICU patients.
- NICU patients should be evaluated for other more common causes of diarrhea.
Diagnosis
...Diagnosis...
...Testing for CDI The authors advise ag...
Prevention
Hand Hygiene In a nonoutbreak set...
...Infants with diarrhea and a positive C. d...
...ning and Disinfection Strategy Infants with d...
...d Disinfection Strategy In endemic settings, sta...