Clostridium difficile associated Disease (CDAD) Rate Reporting
The C. difficile infection rate is calculated as a rate per 1,000 patient days.
The “total patient days” represents the sum of the number of days during which services
were provided to all inpatients during the given time period.
The rate is calculated as follows:
Number of new hospital acquired cases of C. difficile in our facility x 1000 divided by Total number of patient days (for one month)
| Number of new
cases of C. difficile |
Cases of C. difficile
C. difficile rate |
|
| August 2008 | <5 | 0.48% |
| September 2008 | <5 | 0.25% |
| October 2008 | 0 | 0% |
| November 2008 | <5 | 0.25% |
| Decmeber 2008 | 0 | 0% |
| January 2009 | 2 | 0.47% |
| February 2009 | <5 | 0.53% |
| March 2009 | <5 | 0.25% |
| April 2009 | <5 | 0.50% |
| May 2009 | <5 | 0.24% |
| June 2009 | <5 | 0.25% |
| July 2009 | <5 | 0.24% |
| August 2009 | 0 | 0% |
| September 2009 | <5 | 0.24% |
| October 2009 | <5 | 0.24% |
| Novemeber 2009 | 0 | 0% |
| December 2009 | 0 | 0% |
| January 2010 | 0 | 0% |
| February 2010 | 0 | 0% |
| March 2010 | 0 | 0% |
| April 2010 | <5 | 0.26% |
| May 2010 | <5 | 0.24% |
| June 2010 | <5 | 0.49% |
| July 2010 | 0 | 0% |
What is C. difficile?
C. difficile is one of the many types of bacteria that can be found in feces (bowel movement),
and has been a known cause of health care-associated diarrhea for about 30 years.
Where does C. difficile come from?
C. difficile is not new. Although people may associate it with health care settings, it doesn’t
come from hospitals, long-term care homes or laboratories. It is found in the intestine, occurring
naturally in 3-5% of adults (more commonly in the elderly) without causing symptoms.
What causes C. Difficile?
C. difficile can be picked up on the hands from exposure in the environment and can get into the
stomach once the mouth is touched, or if food is handled and then swallowed. Once in the
stomach, the bacteria usually will not cause any problems unless the other bowel bacteria are
disturbed, which can happen when antibiotics are taken. The use of antibiotics increases the
chances of developing C. difficile diarrhea as it alters the normal level of good bacteria found in
the intestines and colon.
Without the presence of the normal bowel bacteria, the C. difficile bacteria may start to grow
and produce a toxin that can damage the bowel and lead to watery diarrhea, fever and
abdominal pain or tenderness.
How does C. Difficile spread?
When a person has C. difficile, the bacteria in their feces can contaminate surfaces such as
toilets, bedpans, commode chairs, and door handles (if feces is on hands). Other healthy
individuals can contaminate their hands if they touch these items. If these individuals then touch
their mouths without washing their hands, they can become infected.
The spread of C. difficile occurs due to inadequate hand hygiene and environmental cleaning. C. difficile produces spores that survive for long periods and are resistant to destruction by many environmental factors (e.g. temperature, humidity).
Good hand hygiene is the single-most effective way to prevent the spread of infectious diseases
like C. difficile.