Blue Ribbon Abstract Award: Moxifloxacin use as a risk factor in an outbreak of Clostridium difficile–associated disease

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Clostridium difficile –associated diarrhea (CDAD) is a common nosocomial infection. CDAD has been associated with prolonged use of antibiotics. C. difficile spores, which are present in stool, can live for up to 70 days and are often spread by the hands of healthcare professionals. METHODS: An increased rate of CDAD was noted in June and July 2002 at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, a 1442-bed tertiary care hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. The CDAD rate for the hospital in the first 5 months of 2002 was 2.8 cases/1000 patient-days. The rate in June and July was 6.2 cases/1000 patient-days (p RESULTS: The hospital's overall CDAD rate decreased to 2.5 cases per 1000 patient-days in the last 5 months of 2002 (p CONCLUSION: Early recognition allows prompt interventions to address infection control issues such as this increase in CDAD rates. The use of multidisciplinary interventions to reduce CDAD infection rates was a successful strategy in this case.