C. Diff News and Research

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Sorrento receives NIAID Phase I STTR grant to develop vaccines against C. difficile infection

Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. announced today that it has received a Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer Research grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health.

29 Jul 2011

Sodexo selects Xenex as preferred partner for disinfection of client facilities

Sodexo Inc., a world leader in healthcare environmental services management, and Xenex Healthcare Services, the world leader in room disinfection systems, today announced Xenex has been selected as Sodexo's preferred partner for disinfection of Sodexo client facilities. Xenex's portable room disinfection system uses pulsed xenon ultraviolet light to destroy all viruses, bacteria and bacterial spores in the patient environment without contact or chemicals.

18 Jul 2011

Molecular technology detects up to 50% more cases of C. diff than other methods

A study from the microbiology lab at the Lifespan hospitals has found that some lab tests are much more accurate in identifying Clostridium difficile Toxin infection, which causes diarrhea.

6 Jul 2011

Monitoring adherence to mandatory hand-washing protocols can help stop outbreaks of C. diff bacteria

Just like intelligence agents watching for the real terrorists threatening to attack, monitoring healthcare worker adherence to mandatory hand-washing protocols via hand-washing squads in hospitals can go a long way to stop outbreaks of the opportunistic C. diff bacteria, says Irena Kenneley, an infection prevention and control expert and assistant professor of nursing from the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University.

20 May 2011

3M introduces Clean-Trace Hygiene Management System for healthcare facilities

As part of its effort to offer a wide range of environmental hygiene solutions for healthcare facilities, 3M Infection Prevention today announced its 3M™ Clean-Trace™ Hygiene Management System. This solution is designed to help hospitals assess the cleanliness of a surface and validate the efficacy of cleaning protocols and worker performance in less than one minute

11 May 2011

Germ Genie is also effective against C.difficile infection

Scientists at the University of Hertfordshire, who proved the effectiveness of Germ Genie, a tool to prevent infections from keyboards, have now found that it can kill C.difficile.

3 May 2011

Doctors, nurse and midwives bear brunt of NHS cuts

The Royal College of Nursing has also warned that hospital wards are becoming unsafe as there are just not enough frontline workers to look after patients or prevent the spread of infection. There are also fears that nurses are so overworked they are unable to carry out their most basic duties of care such attending to the needs of the vulnerable elderly.

10 Apr 2011

CDC awards Duke University $2M to study prevention of HAIs using Tru-D disinfection system

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded $2 million to Duke University Prevention Epicenter as part of its program to conduct innovative research in the science of preventing Healthcare-Associated Infections, or HAIs, with the goal of saving lives in healthcare settings.

25 Mar 2011

NHS staff concerns laid out in a report

Nearly one third of NHS staff say basic hygiene supplies such as hot water and soap are not always available when they need them. This was revealed in a comprehensive survey of the workforce. A third of workers said they would not be happy with the standard of care provided by their hospital if family or friends needed treatment, or had witnessed potentially dangerous errors in the past month. Many complained of bullying by colleagues and managers. Nearly 40% complained that low staffing levels prevented them from doing their jobs properly. The survey was completed by some 165,000 employees across England’s 388 trusts. This is the eighth annual NHS Staff Survey, collated by the Care Quality Commission watchdog.

16 Mar 2011

CDH first hospital in New England to use Xenex PX-UV disinfection system

Cooley Dickinson Hospital (CDH) today announced it is the first hospital in New England to use the Xenex PX-UV disinfection system to disinfect its patient and operating rooms.

2 Feb 2011

Novel light technology kills hospital superbugs

A pioneering lighting system that can kill hospital superbugs - including MRSA and C.diff - has been developed by researchers at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. Scotland.

15 Nov 2010

PPH uses Xenex PX-UV disinfection system to destroy microorganisms causing HAIs

Palomar Pomerado Health (PPH) today announced it is the first health system in California to use the Xenex PX-UV disinfection system in its patient and operating rooms. The Xenex system is the fastest, safest and most cost-effective method for the advanced cleaning of hospital rooms in the world today, scientifically proven to destroy all major classes of microorganisms that cause hospital acquired infections (HAIs), such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile (C. diff).

11 Nov 2010

Intercell aggregate revenues decrease 28.4% to EUR 21.1m in 9 months ended September 30, 2010

Today, Intercell AG announced its financial results for the third quarter of 2010 and presented an update on the Company's key R&D programs as well as changes to the Management Board.

9 Nov 2010

Death and disability toll due to C. diff bacteria needs to be addressed

Almost 12,000 people died in alcohol-related vehicle crashes in 2008. About 15,000 Americans died of AIDS-related illness the same year. Both of these preventable causes of death have been the subject of massive, expensive and high-profile interventions by federal and state authorities. CRE encourages expenditures for these programs but the public health community should be even more concerned for greater society-wide risks.

10 Sep 2010

One-third of Americans experience Hospital Acquired Infection: Xenex Healthcare survey

Nearly one-third of Americans have experienced a Hospital Acquired Infection (HAI) or have a friend or relative who contracted one, according to a new survey from Xenex Healthcare. HAIs (such as C. diff, MRSA, staph infections and pneumonia) are the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and while hospitals have stepped up efforts to prevent these deadly infections, more needs to be done.

9 Sep 2010

Mandatory disclosure makes hospitals work harder to prevent infections

Dr. Betsy McCaughey, Founder/ Chairman of the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths (RID) said that "the 2009 New York State Department of Health Hospital Acquired Infections Report (released 9/1/2010) shows that mandatory disclosure saves lives by making hospitals work harder to prevent infections. Statewide rates decreased for nearly every type of infection measured. None increased."

3 Sep 2010

Xenex Healthcare Services announces commercial launch of pulsed xenon room disinfection system

Xenex Healthcare Services LLC, which specializes in developing disinfection technology for healthcare facilities, today announced the commercial launch of its pulsed xenon room disinfection system and the conclusion of the Xenex system's successful trial at a leading U.S. cancer center. The Xenex system, which is now available, is the fastest, safest, and most effective method for the advanced cleaning of hospital rooms in the world today, quickly destroying all major classes of microorganisms (including viruses, bacteria and bacterial spores) without contact or chemicals.

8 Jun 2010

Automated UV radiation helps decontaminate healthcare-associated pathogens

Attendees of the Fifth Decennial International Conference on Healthcare-Associated Infection were offered a record 37 presentations on the critical role of contaminated environmental surfaces in the transmission of pathogens in healthcare settings.

12 Apr 2010

CDIs are becoming significant issue in healthcare institutions: Study

Clostridium difficile infections are quickly becoming a significant issue in healthcare based upon recent studies. Preliminary data collected from nursing homes and highlighted in a Supplementary Pennsylvania Patient Safety Advisory shows that almost 40 percent of gastrointestinal infections reported are CDIs.

19 Mar 2010

Kettering Health Network licenses DIATHERIX Laboratories' TEM-PCR testing process

Kettering Health Network is the nation's first health system to use a new testing process developed by DIATHERIX Laboratories, which dramatically reduces the time it takes to detect H1N1, methicillin resistant staphylococcus (MRSA), Clostridium difficile (C-diff) and other infectious diseases. Kettering Medical Center will be the first hospital in the network to use the testing system and DIATHERIX will maintain an onsite lab at the facility.

16 Mar 2010