A new study published today in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) describes the outcome of a new approach to testing for Clostridioides difficile ( C. diff ) guided by the principles of diagnostic stewardship. At Memorial Healthcare System in Hollywood, Fla.
, revised rules for when C. diff tests could be ordered helped to reduce inappropriate testing by 20%, which in turn can help rein in the overtreatment of patients. C.
diff is a common and potentially dangerous gastrointestinal pathogen, often linked to healthcare-associated infections and the overuse of antibiotics. While early diagnosis can be helpful in ensuring that patients receive the right treatment, inappropriate testing may identify patients who are harmlessly colonized with the bacteria rather than suffering from an acute infection. Guidelines from infectious disease organizations recommend targeted testing for patients demonstrating clear symptoms associated with C.
diff , rather than broader testing for all patients with gastrointestinal symptoms, to avoid unnecessary treatment. In this study, clinicians from Memorial Healthcare System developed and implemented new guidelines to help reduce inappropriate testing for C. diff , and monitored results across the patient population for nine months to evaluate the approach.
Those results were compared to testing performed in the year preceding the new ordering guidelines. The study reports results from 224 adult patients, 118 tested based on the new met.
