Improved hospital cleanliness combined with better hand-washing habits are best route to cut Clostridium difficile infection rates, according to an article on the MD Magazine website.
An economic evaluation from Australia suggests combining the efforts results in a larger decrease in Clostridium difficile cases than delivering those interventions on their own.
The cost of primary infection ranges from $3,400-$16,300 per case, while treating recurrent infection costs between $13,700–$18,000, the study said.
“The most effective approach to reducing Clostridium difficile transmission is to implement interventions in a bundled manner,’’ said the study's lead author David Brain, PhD, MPH, a research fellow at the Australian Centre for Health Services Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, in Brisbane.