Recent research revealed that patients are at more risk for C. diff at a moderately full healthcare facility, according to an article on the HCPro website.
When researchers from the University of Michigan and RAND studied the relationship between hospital occupancy and C. diff infection risk, they expected to find that a fuller hospital would mean greater risk.
But, after analyzing data for a new study published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine, they found some surprising results. Patients were more at risk for C. diff infections when the hospital was moderately full.
The risk of C. diff infection was more than three times higher when a hospital was moderately full compared to when they were at low or high occupancy.
Study recommends reviewing protocols that might change based on occupancy.