C. diff makes headlines in the UK

The impact of Clostridium difficile infection on mortality is increasingly in the public eye. With the headline "Hospital bug deaths on the rise," the BBC News site picks up recent data announced by the UK's Office for National Statistics about a continuing increase in both mentions of Clostridium difficile on death certificates in England and Wales, accompanied by an increase in the number of times C. diff is noted as underlying cause of death.

The statistics brief (credit: the bar graph to the left) was posted yesterday.

The ONC notes that increased public and clinician awareness of C. diff has likely contributed to the increase in reporting (i.e. difficult to differentiate how much the incidence of infection is increasing versus the contribution of diagnosing it more accurately).