The authors provides an overview of Clostridium difficile—associated disease, its mode of transmission, diagnosis, prevention, and current methods of treatment.

I magine that your beloved grandmother has been hospitalized with a stroke. You are devastated as you imagine the lifestyle changes that will shortly ensue. You contemplate rehabilitation, physical therapy, and extended care possibilities. Her progress is good, except for a small bout of pneumonia that is successfully treated with a course of oral antibiotics. Therapy resumes, as do discussions about moving forward. Then she begins to complain of abdominal pain, has a mild fever, and experiences multiple liquid, foul-smelling stools. She has been placed in isolation, and you don gloves and gown and lean over to listen as she whispers “I have something called C-diff.”

Clostridium difficile–associated disease (CDAD) is a confounding complication. Experienced by patients in extended care facilities, acute care areas, and intensive care units, it...

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