Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has increased to epidemic proportions in recent years, and the carriage of C. difficile among healthy adults and hospital inpatients has been established. Friedman et al. (2013) sought to determine whether C. difficile colonization exists among healthcare workers (HCWs) in their setting.
A point prevalence study of stool colonization with C. difficile among doctors, nurses and allied health staff at a large regional teaching hospital in Geelong, Victoria was conducted. All participants completed a short questionnaire and all stool specimens were tested by Techlab® C.diff Quik Check enzyme immunoassay followed by enrichment culture.
Among 128 healthcare workers, 77 percent were female, of mean age 43 years, and the majority were nursing staff (73 percent). Nineteen HCWs (15 percent) reported diarrhea, and 12 (9 percent) had taken antibiotics in the previous six weeks. More than 40 percent of participants reported having contact with a patient with known or suspected CDI in the six weeks before the stool was collected. C. difficile was not isolated from the stool of any participants.
Although HCWs are at risk of asymptomatic carriage and could act as a reservoir for transmission in the hospital environment, with the use of a screening test and culture the researchers say they were unable to identify C. difficile in the stool of participants in a non-outbreak setting. This may reflect potential colonization resistance of the gut microbiota, or the success of infection prevention strategies at the institution. Their research was published in BMC Infectious Diseases.
Reference: Friedman ND, Pollard J, Stupart D, Knight DR, Khajehnoori M, Davey EK, Parry L and Riley TV. Prevalence of Clostridium difficile colonization among healthcare workers. BMC Infectious Diseases 2013, 13:459 doi:10.1186/1471-2334-13-459
A Helping Hand: Innovative Approaches to Expanding Hand Hygiene Programs in Acute Care Settings
July 9th 2025Who knew candy, UV lights, and a college kid in scrubs could double hand hygiene adherence? A Pennsylvania hospital’s creative shake-up of its infection prevention program shows that sometimes it takes more than soap to get hands clean—and keep them that way.
Broadening the Path: Diverse Educational Routes Into Infection Prevention Careers
July 4th 2025Once dominated by nurses, infection prevention now welcomes professionals from public health, lab science, and respiratory therapy—each bringing unique expertise that strengthens patient safety and IPC programs.
How Contaminated Is Your Stretcher? The Hidden Risks on Hospital Wheels
July 3rd 2025Despite routine disinfection, hospital surfaces, such as stretchers, remain reservoirs for harmful microbes, according to several recent studies. From high-touch areas to damaged mattresses and the effectiveness of antimicrobial coatings, researchers continue to uncover persistent risks in environmental hygiene, highlighting the critical need for innovative, continuous disinfection strategies in health care settings.