MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Fernanda C. Lessa, M.D., M.P.H. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta, GA MedicalResearch: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Lessa: The epidemiology of Clostridium difficile has gone through dramatic changes over the last decade. C. difficile has become the most common cause of healthcare-associated infections in US hospitals and it has been also increasingly reported outside of healthcare settings. As the epidemiology of this pathogen changes, it is important to understand the magnitude and scope of this infection in the United States to help guide priorities for prevention. Main findings: 1)      C. difficile was responsible for almost half million infections and associated with 29,000 deaths in 2011 in the United States 2)      Among the patients who developed C. difficile, 83,000 had recurrent infections 3)      C. difficile incidence was higher among females, whites, and persons 65 years of age or older 4)       Approximately 345,400 infections occurred outside of the hospital indicating that C. difficile prevention should go beyond hospital settings. (more…)