title: An outbreak of severe Clostridium difficile-associated disease possibly related to inappropriate antimicrobial therapy for community-acquired pneumonia.
abstract: We report a severe outbreak of Clostridium difficile infection. According to a chart review, half of the patients who received treatment for bacterial pneumonia before they developed C. difficile infection may not have had pneumonia. Excessive use of the hospital's new pneumonia care plan during the influenza season may have contributed to the intensity of this outbreak.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. philip-polgreen@uiowa.edu
authors.forename: Philip M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Polgreen
authors.forename: Yi Yi
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Joseph E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Cavanaugh
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: Stacy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Coffman
authors.forename: Douglas B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Hornick
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Diekema
authors.forename: Loreen A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Herwaldt
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016360:Clostridioides difficile; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents