Scientists develop 'electronic nose' for rapid detection of C. diff infection
A fast-sensitive "electronic-nose" for sniffing the highly infectious bacteria C. diff, that causes diarrhoea, temperature and stomach cramps, has been developed by a team at the University of...
View Article'Deadly diarrhea' rates nearly doubled in 10 years: Study
Infections with the intestinal superbug C. difficile nearly doubled from 2001 to 2010 in U.S. hospitals without noticeable improvement in patient mortality rates or hospital lengths of stay. (2014-09-30)
View ArticleHospitalized patients don't wash their hands enough, study finds
Hospital visitors and staff are greeted with hand sanitizer dispensers in the lobby, by the elevators and outside rooms as reminders to wash their hands to stop infections, but just how clean are...
View ArticleUPMC programs to improve hand hygiene reduced infections, increased compliance
UPMC Presbyterian Hospital's infection prevention teams have improved hand washing and sanitizing compliance at the hospital to nearly 100 percent among clinical staff through accountability and...
View ArticleOral capsule as effective as invasive procedures for delivery of fecal...
A noninvasive method of delivering a promising therapy for persistent Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection appears to be as effective as treatment via colonoscopy or through a nasogastric...
View ArticleRats of New York and the diseases they carry
In the first study to look at would-be diseases carried by New York City rats, scientists at the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health identified...
View ArticleStudy's findings do not support chlorhexidine bathing in ICUs
Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers have found that bathing critically ill patients with disposable chlorhexidine cloths did not decrease the incidence of health care-associated infections...
View ArticleFecal transplants successful for treating C. difficile infection
Distasteful though it sounds, the transplantation of fecal matter is more successful for treating Clostridium difficile infections than previously thought. (2015-03-30)
View ArticleC. difficile doubles hospital readmission rates, lengths of stay
Patients with Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) are twice as likely to be readmitted to the hospital as patients without the deadly diarrheal infection, according to a study published in the April...
View ArticleJust hit 'print': Office inkjet printer could produce simple tool to identify...
Consumers are one step closer to benefiting from packaging that could give simple text warnings when food is contaminated with deadly pathogens like E. coli and Salmonella, and patients could soon...
View ArticleRising antibiotic shortages raise concerns about patient care
Shortages of key antibiotics, including gold-standard therapies and drugs used to treat highly resistant infections, are on the rise, according to a new study of shortages from 2001 to 2013 published...
View ArticleC. difficile rates highest in Northeast region, spring season
Rates of infection with the deadly superbug Clostridium difficile were highest in the Northeast region of the country and in the spring season over the last 10 years, according to a study published in...
View ArticleTreatment reduces risk of recurrence of C. difficile infection
Among patients with Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) who recovered following standard treatment with the antibiotics metronidazole or vancomycin, oral administration of spores of a strain of C...
View ArticleNearly indestructible virus yields tool to treat diseases
By unlocking the secrets of a bizarre virus that survives in nearly boiling acid, scientists at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have found a blueprint for battling human disease using DNA...
View ArticleMolecular docking site of a bacterial toxin identified
Clostridium difficile is a dangerous intestinal bacterium that can cause severe diarrhoea and life-threatening intestinal infections after long-term treatment with antibiotics. (2015-06-10)
View ArticleResearchers develop world's most sensitive test to detect infectious disease,...
Infectious diseases such as hepatitis C and some of the world's deadliest superbugs--C. difficile and MRSA among them--could soon be detected much earlier by a unique diagnostic test, designed to...
View ArticleMore evidence needed to identify best methods to clean hospital rooms,...
Tray tables, bed rails, light switches, and toilets: All are common vectors for swapping germs between patients and health care workers. (2015-08-11)
View ArticleMultiple strains of C. difficile cause severe patient outcomes
No single genetic strain of the widespread Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) bacteria appears to be any more harmful than other strains, according to new research published online today in Infection...
View ArticleUC Davis study shows popular molecular tests
Clostridium difficile is a common cause of infection and diarrhea in hospitalized patients, but a new study by UC Davis pathologists suggests that many patients are mistakenly diagnosed and do not need...
View ArticleFMT now available in capsule form: could this be the end of antibiotics in C....
A new capsule form of faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has raised hopes that this effective treatment for Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection and other bowel conditions might soon...
View ArticleCleaning hospital rooms with chemicals, UV rays cuts superbug transmissions
In a hospital, what you can't see could hurt you. Healthcare facilities continue to battle drug-resistant organisms such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that loiter on surfaces...
View ArticleFecal transplants show promise, but need careful monitoring, say experts
The use of faecal transplants to treat severe infections has rapidly become the treatment of choice, but as use increases and widens proper screening of donors, and good long term trials and monitoring...
View ArticleC. diff study provides insight into antibiotic resistance and risks for...
Exposure to specific antibiotics is linked to the development of certain strains of antibiotic-resistant C. difficile, one of the fastest growing bacteria superbugs, according to a new study published...
View ArticleOral capsule with bacterial spores may be effective treatment for recurrent...
Results from a Phase 1b/2 trial suggest that an investigational microbiome-based, oral therapeutic drug is effective for the treatment of recurrent C. difficile infection. In a paper published online...
View ArticleOne atom can make a difference: Hydrogen-bonding pairing helps design better...
Infections with bacterium Clostridium difficile have rapidly become a significant medical problem in hospitals and long-term care facilities. (2016-03-28)
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