National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
Latest available findings on quality of and access to health care
Data
- Data Infographics
- Data Visualizations
- Data Tools
- Data Innovations
- All-Payer Claims Database
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP)
- Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
- AHRQ Quality Indicator Tools for Data Analytics
- State Snapshots
- United States Health Information Knowledgebase (USHIK)
- Data Sources Available from AHRQ
Search All Research Studies
Topics
- Antibiotics (1)
- Burnout (1)
- Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI) (1)
- Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI) (1)
- (-) Clostridium difficile Infections (12)
- Community-Acquired Infections (2)
- Comparative Effectiveness (1)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (1)
- Evidence-Based Practice (1)
- Guidelines (1)
- Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) (9)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (1)
- Hospitals (3)
- Implementation (1)
- (-) Infectious Diseases (12)
- Inpatient Care (1)
- Medication (2)
- Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (1)
- Patient Safety (2)
- Pneumonia (1)
- Prevention (3)
- Provider: Nurse (1)
- Public Health (2)
- Surgery (1)
- Treatments (2)
- Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) (1)
AHRQ Research Studies
Sign up: AHRQ Research Studies Email updates
Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 12 of 12 Research Studies DisplayedPatel P, Deshpande A, Yu PC
Association of fluoroquinolones or cephalosporin plus macrolide with Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) after treatment for community-acquired pneumonia.
The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between the antibiotic regimens of empiric therapy with a respiratory fluoroquinolone or cephalosporin plus macrolide combination and the development of hospital-onset Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). The researchers used data from 638 United States hospitals and included adults admitted with pneumonia and discharged from July 2010 through June 2015 with a pneumonia diagnosis code who received 3 or more days of either antibiotic regimen. The study sample included 58,060 patients treated with either cephalosporin plus macrolide (36,796 patients) or a fluoroquinolone alone (21,264 patients). 0.35% of patients who received cephalosporin plus macrolide and 0.31% who received a fluoroquinolone developed CDI, making CDI risks similar for fluoroquinolones versus cephalosporin plus macrolide.
AHRQ-funded; HS024277.
Citation: Patel P, Deshpande A, Yu PC .
Association of fluoroquinolones or cephalosporin plus macrolide with Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) after treatment for community-acquired pneumonia.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2023 Jan; 44(1):47-54. doi: 10.1017/ice.2022.60..
Keywords: Pneumonia, Clostridium difficile Infections, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Medication, Infectious Diseases, Community-Acquired Infections
Perry DA, Shirley D, Micic D
External validation and comparison of Clostridioides difficile severity scoring systems.
The purpose of this study was to validate the Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) risk scores of previously developed predictive models. The researchers conducted a retrospective study, analyzing the CDI severity scores of 3,646 patients within 4 inpatient cohorts from 3 separate sites, including the University of Chicago (2012); the University of Michigan (2010-2012 and 2016) and the University of Wisconsin (2012). The primary outcome was a composite of admission to an intensive care unit, colectomy, and/or death attributed to CDI within 30 days of receiving a positive test. The CDI severity scores were assessed and compared within and across cohorts, and compared to the guideline definitions of severe and fulminant CDI established by the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA). A total of 14 scores were evaluated, including 2 of the IDSA guideline definitions. The study concluded that none of the CDI severity scores showed stable predictive ability within the study scenarios, with just one-half of the scores performing equal to or better than the IDSA definitions studied.
AHRQ-funded; HS027431.
Citation: Perry DA, Shirley D, Micic D .
External validation and comparison of Clostridioides difficile severity scoring systems.
Clin Infect Dis 2022 Jun 10;74(11):2028-35. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciab737..
Keywords: Clostridium difficile Infections, Infectious Diseases
Schoyer E, Hall K
Environmental cleaning and decontamination to prevent clostridioides difficile infection in health care settings: a systematic review.
The aim of this systematic review was to examine the most effective and feasible methods for environmental cleaning and decontamination to prevent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in health care settings. The investigators concluded that the studied practices for environmental cleaning and decontamination were associated with significant decreases in facility-level CDI rates in most of the reviewed studies; however, study quality was low.
AHRQ-funded; 233201500013I.
Citation: Schoyer E, Hall K .
Environmental cleaning and decontamination to prevent clostridioides difficile infection in health care settings: a systematic review.
J Patient Saf 2020 Sep;16(3S Suppl 1):S12-s15. doi: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000749..
Keywords: Clostridium difficile Infections, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Infectious Diseases, Prevention, Patient Safety
Luzum M, Sebolt J, Chopra V
Catheter-associated urinary tract infection, Clostridioides difficile colitis, central line-associated bloodstream infection, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
This article provides summaries of the background, epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of central line-associated bloodstream infection, catheter-associated urinary tract infection, Clostridioides difficile, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization and infections. Additional prevention strategies, including those related to recent national interventions, are also reviewed.
AHRQ-funded; HS022835.
Citation: Luzum M, Sebolt J, Chopra V .
Catheter-associated urinary tract infection, Clostridioides difficile colitis, central line-associated bloodstream infection, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
Med Clin North Am 2020 Jul;104(4):663-79. doi: 10.1016/j.mcna.2020.02.004..
Keywords: Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI), Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), Clostridium difficile Infections, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI), Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Infectious Diseases
McHaney-Lindstrom M, Hebert C, Miller H
Network analysis of intra-hospital transfers and hospital onset Clostridium difficile infection.
This paper explores how social network analysis (SNA) software can be used to analyze intra-hospital networks of individuals with a healthcare associated infection (HAI) for further analysis in a GIS environment. The SNA analysis compared cases to controls which highlighted significant differences in the overall structure of the networks.
AHRQ-funded; HS024379.
Citation: McHaney-Lindstrom M, Hebert C, Miller H .
Network analysis of intra-hospital transfers and hospital onset Clostridium difficile infection.
Health Info Libr J 2020 Mar;37(1):26-34. doi: 10.1111/hir.12274..
Keywords: Clostridium difficile Infections, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Infectious Diseases, Hospitals, Public Health
Bowman JA, Utter GH
Evolving strategies to manage Clostridium difficile colitis.
The authors discuss Clostridium difficile infection and diagnostic methods and treatment strategies evolved in recent years. They indicate that oral or enteral vancomycin is now preferred for first-line antimicrobial treatment across the disease spectrum, including mild to moderate initial cases. Further, fidaxomicin, bezlotoxumab, and fecal microbiota transplantation expand the therapeutic armamentarium, with operative treatment being reserved for patients with fulminant infection. They add that early identification of patients who would benefit from an operation remains a challenge.
AHRQ-funded; HS022236.5rf2c
Citation: Bowman JA, Utter GH .
Evolving strategies to manage Clostridium difficile colitis.
J Gastrointest Surg 2020 Feb;24(2):484-91. doi: 10.1007/s11605-019-04478-5..
Keywords: Clostridium difficile Infections, Infectious Diseases, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Antibiotics, Medication, Treatments
Flores EJ, Jue JJ, Giradi G
AHRQ EPC series on Improving translation of evidence: use of a clinical pathway for C. difficile treatment to facilitate the translation of research findings into practice.
In this pilot study, findings from the 2016 AHRQ EPC report on Clostridioides difficile infection were translated into a treatment pathway and disseminated via a cloud-based platform and electronic health record (EHR). Results indicated that pathways can be an approach for disseminating AHRQ EPC report findings within health care systems, with reports including guideline and pathway syntheses. Embedding hyperlinks to pathway content within the EHR may be a viable and low-effort solution for promoting awareness of evidence-based resources.
AHRQ-funded.
Citation: Flores EJ, Jue JJ, Giradi G .
AHRQ EPC series on Improving translation of evidence: use of a clinical pathway for C. difficile treatment to facilitate the translation of research findings into practice.
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2019 Dec;45(12):822-28. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2019.10.002..
Keywords: Implementation, Evidence-Based Practice, Infectious Diseases, Clostridium difficile Infections, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT)
Turner NA, Grambow SC, Woods CW
Epidemiologic trends in Clostridioides difficile infections in a regional community hospital network.
Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) remains a leading cause of health care facility-associated infection. A greater understanding of the regional epidemiologic profile of CDI could inform targeted prevention strategies. The objectives of this study was to assess trends in incidence of health care facility-associated and community-acquired CDI among hospitalized patients over time and to conduct a subanalysis of trends in the NAP1 strain of CDI over time.
AHRQ-funded; HS023866.
Citation: Turner NA, Grambow SC, Woods CW .
Epidemiologic trends in Clostridioides difficile infections in a regional community hospital network.
JAMA Netw Open 2019 Oct 2;2(10):e1914149. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.14149..
Keywords: Clostridium difficile Infections, Community-Acquired Infections, Infectious Diseases, Hospitals
Hessels AJ, Kelly AM, Chen L
Impact of infectious exposures and outbreaks on nurse and infection preventionist workload.
Researchers evaluated workload increases reported by staff nurses and infection preventionists (IPs) in response to common exposures and outbreaks. Using surveys, they concluded that organisms that are easier to treat and more difficult to spread, such as scabies or lice, can contribute substantially to nursing workload. Additionally, three-quarters of the nurses and one-half of the IPs reported that C difficile adds more than one hour to their daily workload.
AHRQ-funded; HS024915.
Citation: Hessels AJ, Kelly AM, Chen L .
Impact of infectious exposures and outbreaks on nurse and infection preventionist workload.
Am J Infect Control 2019 Jun;47(6):623-27. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2019.02.007..
Keywords: Burnout, Clostridium difficile Infections, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Infectious Diseases, Provider: Nurse, Public Health
Anderson DJ, Moehring RW, Weber DJ
Effectiveness of targeted enhanced terminal room disinfection on hospital-wide acquisition and infection with multidrug-resistant organisms and Clostridium difficile: a secondary analysis of a multicentre cluster randomised controlled trial with crossover
In this study, the investigators aimed to assess the effectiveness of four disinfection strategies on hospital-wide incidence of multidrug-resistant organisms and Clostridium difficile in the Benefits of Enhanced Terminal Room (BETR) Disinfection study. The investigators found that enhanced terminal room disinfection with ultraviolet (UV) in a targeted subset of high-risk rooms led to a decrease in hospital-wide incidence of C difficile and vancomycin-resistant enterococci.
AHRQ-funded; HS023866.
Citation: Anderson DJ, Moehring RW, Weber DJ .
Effectiveness of targeted enhanced terminal room disinfection on hospital-wide acquisition and infection with multidrug-resistant organisms and Clostridium difficile: a secondary analysis of a multicentre cluster randomised controlled trial with crossover
Lancet Infect Dis 2018 Aug;18(8):845-53. doi: 10.1016/s1473-3099(18)30278-0..
Keywords: Clostridium difficile Infections, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Hospitals, Infectious Diseases, Inpatient Care, Patient Safety, Prevention
Seibert G, Ewers T, Barker AK
What do visitors know and how do they feel about contact precautions?
This study surveyed visitors of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) patients to understand their compliance, knowledge, and perceptions of contact precautions. Nursing staff were the fundamental source for information on personal protective equipment (PPE) for visitors, but the researchers discovered variation in staff communication regarding the need for PPE use. Although most visitors knew where to find required personal protective equipment, less than half were fully compliant with gown and gloves.
AHRQ-funded; HS024039.
Citation: Seibert G, Ewers T, Barker AK .
What do visitors know and how do they feel about contact precautions?
Am J Infect Control 2018 Jan;46(1):115-17. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2017.05.011..
Keywords: Clostridium difficile Infections, Guidelines, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Infectious Diseases, Prevention
Ferrada P, Callcut R, Zielinski MD
Loop ileostomy versus total colectomy as surgical treatment for Clostridium difficile-associated disease: an Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma multicenter trial.
The objective of this study was to compare loop ileostomy (LI) and total colectomy (TC) procedures in a multicentric approach to help the surgeon decide what procedure was best suited for the patient in need. In this study, the investigators found that LI carried less mortality than TC.
AHRQ-funded; HS024547.
Citation: Ferrada P, Callcut R, Zielinski MD .
Loop ileostomy versus total colectomy as surgical treatment for Clostridium difficile-associated disease: an Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma multicenter trial.
J Trauma Acute Care Surg 2017 Jul;83(1):36-40. doi: 10.1097/ta.0000000000001498..
Keywords: Clostridium difficile Infections, Comparative Effectiveness, Infectious Diseases, Surgery, Treatments