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Microbial Evolution and Emerging Pathogens: Is C. diff the new MRSA?

Accurate Surveillance Methodology is the Key Component of Effective Infection Control & Prevention Plans

Clostridium difficile (C. diff) is an emerging, spore-forming enteric pathogen. Although C. diff infections have been encountered in hospitals and long-term care facilities for decades, the rate of C. diff caused by an emerging, hypervirulent strain has been on the rise. There are no standard methods of surveillance for C. diff in healthcare facilities. Many facilities solely use laboratory testing for surveillance, which has proven to be problematic due to lack of testing sensitivity. Accurate surveillance methodology is the key component of effective infection control and prevention plans. These plans include strategies for early identification of patients with C. diff, effective implementation of barrier precautions, environmental cleaning, and antimicrobial stewardship.

The hypervirulent strain has been shown to produce two major types of enterotoxins: toxin A and toxin B. There are various laboratory testing methodologies available for the diagnosis of C. diff, the most common being an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) test for the toxins produced by this pathogen. This test is known to have questionable sensitivity. More recently, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing has shown to be a more reliable test, yet it has not been approved for diagnostic use.

Join us for this 90-minute audio conference as we review the epidemiology of C. diff, illustrate the challenges associated with the various laboratory testing methods and describe successful infection prevention and control strategies to combat C. difficile transmission in healthcare facilities.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the epidemiology of C. difficile.
• Illustrate the challenges associated with the various laboratory testing methods for C. difficile.
• Explain surveillance methodology for C. difficile.
• Describe successful infection prevention and control strategies to combat C. difficile transmission in healthcare facilities.

Presented By:

Salah Qutiashat
Director of Infection Prevention
Priemer Inc.

Salah Qutiashat holds a PhD in Microbiology from School of Medicine, University at Buffalo, an MS in Medical Biology, from Long Island University, and a BS in Biological Sciences, from University of Jordan.

He is currently the director of infection prevention at Premier Inc., Healthcare Informatics Division. Prior to his current title he held the following positions:

• Clinical Epidemiologist, Columbia St. Mary's, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Senior Infection Control Epidemiologist, Saint Joseph's Hospital, Marshfield, Wisconsin
• Clinical Epidemiology Consultant, SARS Hospital Infection Control, The Scarborough General Hospital, Scarborough, Canada
• Epidemiologist, Lockport Memorial Hospital, Lockport, New York
• Assistant Director, Blood Transfusion Service, The Buffalo General Hospital, Buffalo, New York

He has also held clinical faculty appointments at the Department of Clinical Microbiology, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York.

An active member of the APIC, SHEA, IDSA, and ASM. Reviewer of APIC Text, Clinical Medicine and Research, Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology and has published 10 papers, 15 abstracts, and had numerous invited oral presentations locally and nationally including the Monkey Pox presentation at National APIC.

Roger Anderson
Infection Prevention and Control Manager
Maury Regional Medical Center

Roger Anderson is currently working as the Infection Prevention and Control Manager at Maury Regional Medical Center in Columbia, Tennessee. He has been with Maury Regional since January 2005. Prior to his current position he served as the Director of Quality Management at Fox Army Health Center, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.

Roger has a BSN from the University of Arizona and a MSPH in Epidemiology from the University of South Carolina. His clinical background is in Perioperative Nursing, but he has worked in Infection Control for several years in facilities ranging in size from ambulatory care, to community hospitals to a large teaching hospital. He has served in the past as the Infection Control Consultant to the Army Surgeon General and is currently certified in Infection Prevention and Control.

Continuing Education:

• This program meets the requirements for CHFM and CHSP Continuing Education Credits.