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
...gnosis
...r CDI The authors advise against routine...
Prevention
...eventio...
...iene In a nonoutbreak setting, t...
...ants with diarrhea and a positive C....
...g and Disinfection Strategy Infants with...
...eaning and Disinfection Strategy...