Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Carlos L. Correa-Martinez, Niklas C. J. Hagemeier, Neele J. Froboese, Stefanie Kampmeier
Summary: This study evaluated the risk of acquiring vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) following treatment with vancomycin for C. difficile infections. The results suggest that both vancomycin and metronidazole increase the risk of VRE acquisition, with genetic comparison indicating that VRE acquisition is a result of both antibiotic selection and pathogen transmission.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Charles Bussell, Jennifer Vincent, Karen Brust
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the impact of improving diagnostic stewardship on reducing hospital-onset C. difficile infections (HO-CDIs). By implementing a multidisciplinary approach, including the creation of a testing checklist card and a specimen rejection system, the occurrence of CDIs can be effectively reduced. The results of the study showed that after the implementation of the improvement strategies, the percentage of appropriate samples sent to the lab increased, and the reported cases of HO-CDIs decreased.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INFECTION CONTROL
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Evan J. Zasowski, Maryam Ali, Ada Anugo, Nayle Ibragimova, Kierra M. Dotson, Bradley T. Endres, Khurshida Begum, M. Jahangir Alam, Kevin W. Garey
Summary: This study aimed to develop predictive indices for multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) gut colonization in patients with Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). They compared the predictive performance of a regression-based risk score with two other simplified risk stratification approaches. The results showed that a simplified approach using prior healthcare exposure and receipt of prior antibiotics was as effective as individual patient/antibiotic risk modeling in identifying patients at risk for MDRO gut colonization.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND THERAPY
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Ronald G. Hall, Travis J. Cole, Chip Shaw, Carlos A. Alvarez
Summary: Fidaxomicin was found to be associated with a significantly lower risk of CDI recurrence compared to vancomycin in a matched cohort study.
Article
Immunology
Michael Y. Lin, Brian D. Stein, Sonya M. Kothadia, Samantha Blank, Michael E. Schoeny, Alexander Tomich, Mary K. Hayden, John Segreti
Summary: Inappropriate Clostridioides difficile testing is common in hospitals, resulting in potential overdiagnosis of infection. The potential role of infectious diseases specialists in enforcing appropriate testing is unclear. A retrospective study at an academic hospital found that mandatory approval from infectious diseases specialists led to a significant decrease in hospital-onset C. difficile infections.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Silvia Vazquez-Cuesta, Laura Villar, Nuria Lozano Garcia, Ana I. Fernandez, Maria Olmedo, Luis Alcala, Mercedes Marin, Patricia Munoz, Emilio Bouza, Elena Reigadas
Summary: This study aimed to explore the role of the microbiome as a predictive biomarker of CDI. The researchers found differences in microbiome patterns between CDI patients, C. difficile carriers, healthy individuals, and patients with diarrhea of other causes, and identified potential microbiome biomarkers that could aid in the diagnosis of true CDI infections.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alexander B. Smith, Matthew L. Jenior, Orlaith Keenan, Jessica L. Hart, Jonathan Specker, Arwa Abbas, Paula C. Rangel, Chao Di, Jamal Green, Katelyn A. Bustin, Jennifer A. Gaddy, Maribeth R. Nicholson, Clare Laut, Brendan J. Kelly, Megan L. Matthews, Daniel R. Evans, Daria Van Tyne, Emma E. Furth, Jason A. Papin, Frederic D. Bushman, Jessi Erlichman, Robert N. Baldassano, Michael A. Silverman, Gary M. Dunny, Boone M. Prentice, Eric P. Skaar, Joseph P. Zackular
Summary: Enterococci can shape the metabolic environment in the gut and enhance the fitness and pathogenesis of Clostridioides difficile through nutrient restriction and cross-feeding. This microbial interaction plays a role in the susceptibility to and the severity of C. difficile infection.
Article
Pediatrics
Danilo Buonsenso, Rosalia Graffeo, Davide Pata, Piero Valentini, Carla Palumbo, Luca Masucci, Antonio Ruggiero, Giorgio Attina, Manuela Onori, Laura Lancella, Barbara Lucignano, Martina Di Giuseppe, Paola Bernaschi, Laura Cursi
Summary: This study provides important clinical and epidemiological analysis of children with CDI, revealing that CDI children had higher hospital admission rates and chronic comorbidity occurrence. The use of antibiotics and fluoroquinolones were significantly associated with CDI.
FRONTIERS IN PEDIATRICS
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Cherith Walter, Tanushree Soni, Melanie Alice Gavin, Julianne Kubes, Kristen Paciullo
Summary: This study successfully implemented evidence-based interventions through the collaboration of an interprofessional team, leading to significant and sustained reductions in HO-CDI. The addition of an accountability processes further improved compliance with standards of practice.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INFECTION CONTROL
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Nicholas A. Lesniak, Alyxandria M. Schubert, Kaitlin J. Flynn, Jhansi L. Leslie, Hamide Sinani, Ingrid L. Bergin, Vincent B. Young, Patrick D. Schloss
Summary: Clostridioides difficile colonization can lead to a range of infection severities, from mild diarrhea to life-threatening conditions. While factors such as patient age, blood cell count, and C. difficile characteristics have been associated with disease severity, the role of specific gut bacteria in influencing severity is unclear. This study demonstrates that different gut bacterial communities can contribute to variations in Clostridioides difficile infection outcomes. Certain bacterial groups were associated with more severe outcomes, while others were associated with milder outcomes. Incorporating gut bacterial community data into severity models may aid in identifying at-risk patients and improving interventions.
Article
Immunology
D. Alexander Perry, Daniel Shirley, Dejan Micic, C. Pratish Patel, Rosemary Putler, Anitha Menon, Vincent B. Young, Krishna Rao
Summary: None of the published CDI severity scores showed stable and good predictive ability for adverse outcomes across multiple centers. The existing scoring systems have poor predictive ability for CDI severity.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Clare Rock, Oluchi Abosi, Susan Bleasdale, Erin Colligan, Daniel J. Diekema, Prashila Dullabh, Ayse P. Gurses, Krysta Heaney-Huls, Jesse T. Jacob, Sheetal Kandiah, Sonam Lama, Surbhi Leekha, Jeanmarie Mayer, Alfredo J. Mena Lora, Daniel J. Morgan, Patience Osei, Sara Pau, Jorge L. Salinas, Emily Spivak, Eric Wenzler, Sara E. Cosgrove
Summary: Computerized clinical decision support (CCDS) systems can reduce unnecessary Clostridioides difficile testing and are positively perceived by healthcare providers when integrated into their workflow and providing relevant patient-specific information.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Heloise Coullon, Thomas Candela
Summary: The cortex and peptidoglycan of Clostridioides difficile have been relatively understudied, but have gained increased interest in recent years due to their highly modified structures. These modifications may play a role in antimicrobial resistance and are crucial for spore cortex synthesis and germination, which are essential in the pathogenesis of the bacterium. Enzymes responsible for these modifications could be potential new drug targets or anti-C. difficile agents.
CURRENT OPINION IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Guido Granata, Francesco Schiavone, Giuseppe Pipitone
Summary: Bezlotoxumab administration during a first CDI episode is effective and safe in reducing the rate of rCDI. Despite its high cost, evidence suggests considering bezlotoxumab in patients with a primary CDI episode. Further studies are needed to assess the benefit in specific subgroups of primary CDI patients and to define the risk factors to guide bezlotoxumab use.
Review
Immunology
Jessica E. Buddle, Robert P. Fagan
Summary: Clostridioides difficile is a common cause of hospital-associated diarrhea, with high recurrence, morbidity, and mortality rates. Antibiotics are both the main treatment and a major risk factor for infection. The increasing multidrug resistance of C. difficile poses an urgent threat to global health. This review focuses on the virulence factors, antimicrobial resistance, and genome plasticity that enable the pathogenesis and persistence of this important pathogen.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Thomas C. McHale, Claudia M. Romero-Vivas, Claudio Fronterre, Pedro Arango-Padilla, Naomi R. Waterlow, Chad D. Nix, Andrew K. Falconar, Jorge Cano
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2019)
Letter
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Chad D. Nix
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INFECTION CONTROL
(2020)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Chad D. Nix, Jonathan Salberg, Felicity J. Coulter, Bettie W. Kareko, Zoe L. Lyski, Brian L. Booty, William B. Messer
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2020)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Ruchira R. Khosavanna, Bettie W. Kareko, Adam C. Brady, Brian L. Booty, Chad D. Nix, Zoe L. Lyski, Marcel D. Curlin, William B. Messer
Summary: This study aimed to describe self-reported clinical symptoms of dengue fever in a non-endemic cohort and to establish a clinically useful predictive algorithm based on presenting features that can assist in the early evaluation of potential dengue infection. A regression model including joint/muscle/bone pain, rash, dyspnea, and rhinorrhea predicts dengue infection with a sensitivity of 78%, specificity of 63%, positive predictive value of 80%, and negative predictive value of 61%.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE
(2021)
Letter
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Chad D. Nix, Anjali Bisht, Lauren A. Ogden, John M. Townes
INFECTION CONTROL AND HOSPITAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Michelle Cohen, Madeline Nguyen, Chad D. Nix, Brendan Case, Joshua P. Nickerson, Jacqueline Bernard, Julia Durrant, Delaram Safarpour, Tarvez Tucker, Kamila Vagnerova, William B. Messer
Summary: This article presents a rare case of a patient who developed YEL-AND following vaccination, and imaging findings consistent with variant Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease were discovered. This is a rare report on the intracranial imaging progression of this disease.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Larisa G. Tereshchenko, Adam Bishop, Nora Fisher-Campbell, Jacqueline Levene, Craig C. Morris, Hetal Patel, Erynn Beeson, Jessica A. Blank, J. G. N. Bradner, Michelle Coblens, Jacob W. Corpron, Jenna M. Davison, Kathleen Denny, Mary S. Earp, Simeon Florea, Howard Freeman, Olivia Fuson, Florian H. Guillot, Kazi T. Haq, Morris Kim, Clinton Kolseth, Olivia Krol, Lisa Lin, Liat Litwin, Aneeq Malik, Evan Mitchell, Aman Mohapatra, Cassandra Mullen, Chad D. Nix, Ayodele Oyeyemi, Christine Rutlen, Ashley E. Tam, Inga Van Buren, Jessica Wallace, Akram Khan
Summary: This study aimed to determine the risks of symptomatic or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection for late cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. The findings revealed that SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events and had a causal effect on all-cause mortality in the late post-COVID-19 period.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Chad D. Nix, Tania N. Bubb, Vicki B. Maddox
Summary: In June 2021, a task force commissioned by APIC conducted an evaluation of health inequity and disparities in infection prevention in healthcare settings. The task force, comprised of infection preventionists across the country, reviewed current literature, identified relevant issues, and provided recommendations to the APIC Board of Directors for action steps.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INFECTION CONTROL
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jane Babiarz, Chad D. Nix, Sean Bowden, Rachel Roberts
Summary: This study aimed to assess the prescribing habits of primary care providers for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and the number of at-risk patients at a medical center in the Northwestern USA. The results showed that while the majority of providers were familiar with national clinical practice guidelines for HIV prevention, only a small percentage of eligible patients received PrEP prescriptions and appropriate counseling. Barriers to prescribing included lack of time and familiarity with guidelines. Interventions to improve provider adherence and reduce logistical barriers are needed to achieve the target for PrEP coverage.
SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Bettie W. Kareko, Brian L. Booty, Chad D. Nix, Zoe L. Lyski, Mark K. Slifka, Ian J. Amanna, William B. Messer
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2020)
