From Hospital to Community:
The Changing Epidemiology of C-Difficile Infection

Originally broadcast November 18, 2010

Speaker:
Ghinwa Dumyati, MD, FSHEA
Associate Professor of Medicine
University of Rochester
Center for Community Health
and Epidemiologist
Monroe County Department of Public Health

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a common cause of diarrhea in hospitalized patients due to exposure to antibiotics and to the healthcare environment. An increase in the incidence and the severity of this disease has been reported over the past decade in the US, Canada and Europe. In addition, CDI has been observed in healthy individuals without previous exposure to established risk factors. The changing pattern of disease is in part due to the emergence of a new epidemic, hypervirulent C. difficile strain identified as BI/NAP1/027  toxinotype III. The broadcast will describe the changing epidemiology of CDI and review CDI prevention strategies in the hospital and the community settings.

Objectives:
After watching this broadcast participants will be able to:

• Understand the changing epidemiology of CDI
• Recognize potential predisposing factors for community associated disease
• Describe the essential components of the prevention strategy for CDI

Continuing Education Credits

School of Public Health, University at Albany is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Massachusetts Association of Registered Nurses, Inc., an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

It has been assigned Provider Code PA# 157N.

Course code PA# 157N-246; 1.0 contact hour.

School of Public Health, University at Albany is accredited by the MSSNY to provide continuing medical education (CME) for physicians. The School designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s).™ Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This activity is sponsored by the School of Public Health, University at Albany, SUNY, a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. This program is designated for the CHES to receive 1.0 Category 1 CECH in health education.

Continuing education credits are available until November 2013.

The planners and presenters do not have any financial arrangements or affiliations with any commercial entities whose products, research or services may be discussed in this activity.

No commercial funding has been accepted for this activity.