Intestinal Superbug Rates Nearly Double In Last Decade

New research has shown that infections with the intestinal superbug Clostridium difficile nearly doubled from 2001 to 2010 in U.S. hospitals. Kelly Reveles, PharmD, PhD, of the University of Texas College of Pharmacy, and colleagues studied 10 years of data from the U.S. National Hospital Discharge Surveys (NHDS). Results showed that from 2001 to 2010, rates of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) among hospitalized adults rose from 4.5 to 8.2 discharges per 1,000 total adult hospital discharges. Clostridium difficile is the most common bacteria responsible for causing healthcare-associated infections in U.S. hospitals, and is linked to 14,000 deaths each year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that reducing the use of high-risk, broad-spectrum antibiotics by 30% could lower CDI by 26%. Indeed, towards the end of the study CDI rates began to level off as the number of hospitals introducing antibiotic stewardship programs rose. "Our study found that peak CDI incidence occurred in 2008, with a slight decline through 2010," said Dr Reveles. "The leveling off of CDI incidence toward the end of our study period may be the result of increased antibiotic stewardship programs and improved infection control measures, such as use of contact precautions, cleaning and disinfection of equipment, and environment, and hand hygiene." A survey conducted in 2013 by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) revealed that 60% of US hospitals had implemented antibiotic stewardship programs by 2013, up from 52% in 2010.