Keeping up with C. diff

The BioMed Central journal Critical Care this month includes a review and a commentary piece discussing developments in our understanding of Clostridium difficile and associated colitis.

Described as a good reference for clinicians faced with this issue, the authors Carolyn V Gould and L Clifford McDonald, from the Centers for Disease Control, detail the pathogenesis, diagnosis and possible treatment strategies in this most topical of hospital-acquired infections. The onus is on healthcare professionals to maintain awareness of the changing epidemiology of the disease, as well introducing measures to reduce the risk to patients.