Clostridium News and Research

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Probiotics may be safe, low-cost prevention tool for Clostridium difficile infections

Probiotics may be a relatively safe, simple, and low-cost solution for preventing Clostridium difficile infections in hospital settings, according to two studies published today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

26 Apr 2018

Contact precautions do not limit spread of drug-resistant bacteria in ICUs

Contact precautions, used in addition to the standard precautions, the basic level of infection control applied to all patients, did not limit or prevent the spread of drug-resistant bacteria in non-intensive care unit hospital wards, according to research presented at the 28th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

23 Apr 2018

Exposure to toxin found in sheep may be linked to development of MS

Exposure to a toxin primarily found in sheep could be linked to the development of multiple sclerosis in humans, new research suggests.

23 Apr 2018

NYC mice carry deadly bacteria and viruses

Almost all types of housing and living facilities house mice. Researchers have found in their year-long study on New York City mice that many of these carry on them deadly bacteria and viruses. These bacteria could be resistant to antibiotics and thus they may cause life threatening infections in humans.

18 Apr 2018

Single FMT enema produces sustained and significant improvements in cognitive function

A single treatment using an optimized, targeted form of faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) produces sustained clinical and cognitive improvements, according to the results of a long-term follow-up of patients with liver cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy (HE) who had participated in a short-term study.

16 Apr 2018

Surgeons identify rates of C. difficile infection in patients undergoing common colon operations

Clostridium difficile infection is the most common hospital-acquired infection and a significant cause of increased hospital stay and cost for patients and payors alike.

11 Apr 2018

Using machine learning to predict C. difficile infection risk

Researchers have developed a series of machine learning models that can predict a patient’s risk of infection by C. difficile, a gastrointestinal pathogen.

26 Mar 2018

The training of Dr. Robot: Data wave hits medical care

The technology used by Facebook, Google and Amazon to turn spoken language into text, recognize faces and target advertising could help doctors combat one of the deadliest killers in American hospitals.

14 Feb 2018

Researchers discover new source of botulinum neurotoxin

A new source of the botulinum neurotoxin was discovered by Canadian and American scientists in a strain of animal gut bacteria known as Enterococcus faecium.

27 Jan 2018

Researchers show association between microbiome and cancer-related blood infections

Cancer patients receive essential medicines, fluids, blood and nutrients through long, flexible tubes called central venous catheters, or central lines.

22 Jan 2018

Researchers discover new type of botulinum neurotoxin from unexpected source

Researchers from the Quadram Institute have identified genes encoding a previously undiscovered version of the botulinum neurotoxin in bacteria from a cow's gut.

12 Jan 2018

SHEA releases new guidance on contact precautions for drug-resistant infections

New expert guidance released today by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America advises hospitals on determining when they can safely discontinue contact precautions for patients with multi-drug resistant bacteria.

11 Jan 2018

Study finds link between dietary sugar and increasing bacterial epidemics

The rising frequency and severity of Clostridium difficile infections may be caused by the commonly used food additive, trehalose, according to Nature.

5 Jan 2018

Dietary sugar may contribute to increasing frequency, severity of bacterial epidemics

The increasing frequency and severity of healthcare-associated outbreaks caused by bacterium Clostridium difficile have been linked to the widely used food additive trehalose.

3 Jan 2018

Medicare penalizes group of 751 hospitals for patient injuries

The federal government Thursday lowered a year's worth of Medicare payments to 751 hospitals to penalize them for having the highest rates of patient injuries.

21 Dec 2017

Capsule research could transform treatment for C. difficile infections

An Alberta-led clinical trial has shown Fecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT) is as effective in treating clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infections whether delivered by colonoscopy or by swallowing capsules.

28 Nov 2017

Study: Many patients change their behaviors after suffering repeated bouts of C. diff infections

After suffering repeated bouts of debilitating Clostridium difficile infections, many patients significantly change their behaviors, but some precautions may do little to prevent future infections, according to a first-of-its-kind study.

8 Nov 2017

Germ-killing robots use UV radiation to safeguard patients from health care-associated infections

Germ-killing robots are being enlisted to further safeguard Vanderbilt University Medical Center patients from health care-associated infections.

30 Oct 2017

Antibiotics prescribed by dentists may contribute to serious C. diff infections

Antibiotics prescribed by dentists may contribute to the growing problem of Clostridium difficile (C. diff), a serious and potentially deadly infection that causes severe diarrhea, suggests research presented at IDWeek 2017. And many of those antibiotics are likely unnecessary, researchers note.

6 Oct 2017

Scientists unravel mechanism that links gut bacteria to hypertension

One in three American adults suffers from high blood pressure, or hypertension. The disease can be passed down in families, and certain lifestyle factors such as smoking, high-sodium diets, and stress can increase the risk.

3 Oct 2017