[…] surveillance for CDI in your health authority, the cases of CDI identified among mental health inpatients should be collected and included in your CDI data submission. 1 Ofosu A. Annals of Gastroenterology 2016; 29, 147‐154 2 Martin JSH, Monaghan TM, and Wilcox MK. Nature Reviews. Gastroenterology & Hepatology 2016; 13:206‐216 Provincial Infection Control Network of British Columbia (PICNet) Reviewed November 2022 Page 4 Case definition A case of CDI is defined as: presence of diarrhea or toxic megacolon without other known etiology (e.g. from other underlying medical conditions or medications), AND laboratory confirmation of the presence of C. Difficile toxin A and/or B (positive toxin, or culture with evidence of toxin production, or detection of toxin genes) OR diagnosis of typical pseudo‐membranous colitis on sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy OR histological/pathological diagnosis of CDI with or without diarrhea Note: 1) Diarrhea is defined as persistent liquid or loose stools (e.g. passing liquid or loose stools three or more times per day for more than 24 hours), or more frequently than is normal for the patient. 2) It is assumed that any stool sent to the laboratory for C. difficile testing is from a patient that has had at least three episodes of loose stools in a 24‐hour period. It is accepted that some patients may have had only one or two loose stools prior to a specimen being collected, though this may overestimate the number of CDI cases. 3) If the patient’s medical chart was reviewed and the information about the frequency and consistency of diarrhea was not available, or only one or two liquid or loose stools was documented, the infection control practitioner (ICP) should make judgement based on the patient’s other clinical manifestations and treatments, or consult with the nurse or physician caring for the patient. INCLUDES: CDI cases identified among the inpatients during their hospitalization in the reporting facility CDI cases identified at the time of admission to the reporting facility CDI cases identified at an outpatient clinic or emergency department and subsequently admitted to the reporting facility with CDI‐related symptoms at the time of admission EXCLUDES: CDI cases identified among outpatients or among patients from the emergency department who were not admitted to the reporting facility CDI cases identified among patients in extended care beds or mental health beds housed in the reporting facilities Patients transferred from another acute care facility with a known diagnosis of CDI ...
Type: Media