C. Diff Infections Are Falling, Thanks To Better Cleaning And Fewer Antibiotics
The bacterium C. difficile causes one of the most common infections in hospitals and nursing homes. After climbing for decades, the rate of new infections is now falling.
The risk of getting a deadly, treatment-resistant infection in a hospital or nursing home is dropping for the first time in decades, thanks to new guidelines on antibiotic use and stricter cleaning standards in care facilities.
The rate of new or C. diff infections climbed year after year from 2000 to 2010, researchers found. But an early look at 2011-2014 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's suggests infection rates are improving.
