Targeted Screening Reduces C.diff Infections in High-Risk Patients
Matthew Ziegler,MD
Credit: University of Pennsylvania
New research shows that screening and preventing C.difficile infections in high-risk patients with weakened immune systems can be very helpful. This approach led to fewer hospital-acquired infections, shorter hospital stays, and fewer symptoms.1
The screening and prevention program (STOP) lasted for 2 years. It focused on patients newly admitted for organ transplants and cancer treatments like stem cell transplants,CAR-T therapy,and leukemia treatment. Thes groups are more likely to get CDI, but may not always need general preventative medicines. Compared to data from the 2 years before the program started, STOP successfully reduced hospital-onset CDI and its related symptoms.1,2
“Other studies have tried to get rid of C.diff in people who carry it but don’t have symptoms.But none were designed to stop the infection from developing in people at highest risk,” said Matthew Ziegler, MD, a doctor specializing in infectious diseases at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and his team.1 “Our work is different from previous research.”
To learn more about how preventative antibiotics can reduce hospital-onset CDI and their potential side effects, researchers used a new method. They identified patients at high risk of CDI before they were admitted to the hospital.
1 Ziegler,M., et al. (2024). Targeted Clostridioides difficile Screening and Prophylaxis in High-Risk Immunocompromised Patients. Open forum Infectious Diseases, 11(1), ofad681.https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofad681
2 (Link to additional supporting research if available)
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