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Clostridium difficile in Long-Term–Care Facilities for the Elderly

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Andrew E. Simor ,
Suzanne F. Bradley ,
Larry J. Strausbaugh ,
Kent Crossley ,
Lindsay E. Nicolle  and
SHEA Long-Term–Care Committee
Andrew E. Simor*
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Suzanne F. Bradley
Affiliation:
Department of Internal Medicine, Veterans' Affairs Health Systems, and theUniversity of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Larry J. Strausbaugh
Affiliation:
VA Medical Center and Oregon Health and, Sciences University School of Medicine, Portland, Oregon
Kent Crossley
Affiliation:
Departments of Education and Internal Medicine, Minneapolis VA Medical Center, and theUniversity of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Lindsay E. Nicolle
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
*
Department of Microbiology, Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre, B121-2075 Bayview Avenue, North York, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada
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Abstract

Antimicrobial agents are among the most frequently prescribed medications in long-term–care facilities (LTCFs). Therefore, it is not surprising that Clostridium difficile colonization and C. difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) occur commonly in elderly LTCF residents. C. difficile has been identified as the most common cause of non-epidemic acute diarrheal illness in nursing homes, and outbreaks of CDAD in LTCFs have also been recognized. This position paper reviews the epidemiology and clinical features of CDAD in elderly residents of LTCFs and, using available evidence, provides recommendations for the management of C. difficile in this setting.

Type
SHEA Position Paper
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 23 , Issue 11 , November 2002 , pp. 696 - 703
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2002

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