Top research from SHEA highlights new discoveries in C. difficile, sepsis

As a service to its readers, Healio Internal Medicine presents the top five news articles from the 2017 Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) spring conference, including research in topics such as Clostridium difficile persistence, a clinical decision support tool for severe sepsis and spread of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae.

Hospital-acquired CDI rates persist despite enhanced cleaning

Although a cleaning intervention decreased the recovery of certain bacteria on high-touch surface areas in hospital settings, it did not reduce the incidence of health care-acquired Clostridium difficile infections, according to study results presented. Read More.

Clinical decision support tool help s reduce mortality in patients with severe sepsis

Researchers found that implementation of an automated tool designed to support adherence to guidelines and promote optimal decision making and antibiotic use resulted in significantly reduced mortality in patients with severe sepsis. Read More.

Daily use of L. rhamnosus may reduce odds of S. aureus carriage in stool samples

Daily use of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 reduced the odds of Staphylococcus aureus carriage in stool samples of VA patients with initial extra-gastrointestinal colonization, but did not have the same effect in samples from other sites on the body, researchers said. Read More.

CRE spreads among Washington, D.C. health care facilities

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, or CRE, is transmitted within and between a variety of health care settings in Washington, D.C., study data suggest. Read More.

A. baumannii colonization upon ICU admission increases likelihood of infection, mortality

ICU patients colonized with Acinetobacter baumannii upon admission were more likely to develop subsequent positive clinical cultures for the bacterium and die during their hospital stay, according to findings from a retrospective cohort analysis. Read More.