A new study could change how inpatient and outpatient care facilities in Maryland manage Clostridium difficile infections. The medical community has long thought of hospitals as the most common sites for the potentially fatal bacterial infection, called C. diff, to spread. However, a new study shows that more nursing homes and clinics are reporting C. diff infections than ever before.
According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, 94 percent of C. diff infections reported in 2010 were related to receiving health care. Of those, 75 percent were either associated with nursing home care or an outpatient doctor's office or clinic. These patients are often sent to hospitals at some point, where they may spread the C. diff, according to the study.
