Clostridium Difficile Infection In Long Term Care Facilities

This book aims to fill knowledge gap among healthcare workers about Clostridium difficile (also known as C.difficile and CDI) among aging patients, especially those in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). Written by experts in infectious diseases and geriatric medicine, this book provides comprehensive information on all aspects of CDI pertaining to LTCF settings, including epidemiology, diagnosis, prevention, management and the unique challenges faced by LTCFs with regards to the CDI problem. The book begins by introducing the topic as it relates to aging patients before delving into the various aspects of CDI management. Topics include infection control and prevention, treatment of CDI, and the establishment of antibiotic stewardship programs to reduce inappropriate antibiotic use and reduce CDI rates. The book also features a chapter on probiotics for the prevention of CDI and new strategies to monitor environmental cleaning practices of CDI patient rooms that do not appear in any other resource. Clostridium Difficile Infection in Long-Term Care Facilities is an excellent resource for geriatricians, infectious diseases specialists, long-term care administrators, nurses, pharmacists, researchers, and all clinicians working with infections in long-term care settings.

The first Infection control guidelines for long-term care facilities were published in 1986. Since that time the interest in, and knowledge of, the requirements of infection control programs for long-term care facilities has steadily increased. This document presents the second version and looks at the following points: organizational structure of an infection control program; environmental concerns; departments and services; management of specific care situations; occupational health; and, epidemic investigation and control.

KEY FINDINGS: Data from the National Nursing Home Survey, 2004. In 2004, 8 percent of U.S. nursing home residents had an emergency department (ED) visit in the past 90 days. Among nursing home residents with an ED visit in the past 90 days, 40 percent had a potentially preventable ED visit. Injuries from falls were the most common conditions accounting for potentially preventable ED visits by nursing home residents. Nursing home residents who had a potentially preventable ED visit in the past 90 days had shorter lengths of stay and more medications In 2004, 8 percent of U.S. nursing home residents had an emergency department (ED) visit in the past 90 days. Among nursing home residents with an ED visit in the past 90 days, 40 percent had a potentially preventable ED visit. Injuries from falls were the most common conditions accounting for potentially preventable ED visits by nursing home residents. Nursing home residents who had a potentially preventable ED visit in the past 90 days had shorter lengths of stay and more medications.

This in-depth reference presents a comprehensive approach to developing a facility-based infection prevention program, including numerous practical tips and clinical advice for successful implementation. Topics addressed include: Regulatory requirements Comprehensive infection prevention risk assessment and program development Surveillance and reporting Nursing assessment and interventions to prevent the most commonly occurring infections in long-term care Environmental cleaning and disinfection Unique long-term care issues such as care transitions and life enrichment activities Occupational health, immunization programs, and staff education Disaster and pandemic preparedness And more Appropriate for all types of long-term care facilities and includes a CD-ROM with customizable forms, helpful tools, and additional resources specific to infection prevention and control.

The ASCRS Textbook of Surgery of the Colon and Rectum offers a comprehensive textbook designed to provide state of the art information to residents in training and fully trained surgeons seeking recertification. The textbook also supports the mission of the ASCRS to be the world’s authority on colon and rectal disease. The combination of junior and senior authors selected from the membership of the ASCRS for each chapter will provide a comprehensive summary of each topic and allow the touch of experience to focus and temper the material. This approach should provide the reader with a very open minded, evidence based approach to all aspects of colorectal disease. Derived from the textbook, The ASCRS Manual of Surgery of the Colon and Rectum offers a “hands on” version of the textbook, written with the same comprehensive, evidence-based approach but distilled to the clinical essentials. In a handy pocket format, readers will find the bread and butter information for the broad spectrum of practice. In a consistent style, each chapter outlines the condition or procedure being discussed in a concise outline format – easy to read, appropriately illustrated and referenced.

Offering an authoritative overview of all infection management protocols currently utilized by infectious disease specialists, geriatricians, and infection control practitioners, this Second Edition examines current strategies to diagnose, treat, control, and prevent common infectious diseases in long-term care geriatric facilities. Covering a wide

Clostridium difficile bacteria could be found everywhere around us: in the air, water, and soil and in the feces of humans and animals. You can easily become infected with C. difficile if you touch contaminated clothing, sheets, or other objects and then touch your mouth. Many people have the bacteria in their intestines and never have any symptoms. Still, it can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation of the colon. The chance of developing a C. difficile infection increases with the usage of high doses of antibiotics over a prolonged period; thus, it is most often spread in the healthcare facilities between workers, patients, and residents. Each year in the United States, almost a half million people get sick from C. difficile, and approximately 29,000 patients died within 30 days of its initial diagnosis. Nowadays, C. difficile infections have become more frequent, severe, and difficult to treat. Therefore, the early diagnosis and the suitable treatment have become a real demand. In this book, we present the experience of worldwide specialists on the diagnosis and the treatment of C. difficile infections along with its lights and shadows.