title: Gut check: Clostridium difficile testing and treatment in the molecular testing era.
abstract: We evaluated the impact of nursing education and stewardship interventions on Clostridium difficile testing and treatment appropriateness. Diarrhea documentation increased for those with positive tests (45% to 70%); pretreatment laxative use decreased (50% to 19%). Appropriate treatment increased for severe infection (57% to 93%), but all asymptomatically colonized patients were treated.
authors: 1Intermountain Healthcare,Intermountain Medical Center,Murray,Utah.
authors: Whitney R
authors: WR
authors: Buckel
authors: 2Johns Hopkins Health System,The Johns Hopkins Hospital,Baltimore,Maryland.
authors: Edina
authors: E
authors: Avdic
authors: 3Division of Infectious Diseases,Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine,Baltimore,Maryland.
authors: Karen C
authors: KC
authors: Carroll
authors: 2Johns Hopkins Health System,The Johns Hopkins Hospital,Baltimore,Maryland.
authors: Vidhya
authors: V
authors: Gunaseelan
authors: 3Division of Infectious Diseases,Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine,Baltimore,Maryland.
authors: Eric
authors: E
authors: Hadhazy
authors: 3Division of Infectious Diseases,Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine,Baltimore,Maryland.
authors: Sara E
authors: SE
authors: Cosgrove
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D058345:Asymptomatic Infections; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology*; D004506:Education, Nursing; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D057970:Inappropriate Prescribing; D007318:Inservice Training; D054368:Laxatives / Q000009:adverse effects; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D054368:Laxatives; C031815:toxB protein, Clostridium difficile