Among the healthcare-associated (HCA) diarrhea, Clostridioides difficile (CD) represents the commonest causing pathogen worldwide, accounting for about one-half of cases, and it is responsible for increased morbidity, mortality, and prolonged hospital stay. However, in the last years, an important variation in the epidemiology of CD infection has been reported, with a rising incidence of community-acquired cases. New advances in the prevention and treatment of primary and recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection have been reported in the last years.
The main goals of this Research Topic are the following:
• Assess CD underdiagnosis and the reasons for underdiagnosis, which can lead to a delay in prescribing adequate therapy and consequently may cause a higher complication rate. In addition, underdiagnosis may contribute to an increase in the CDI transmission within hospitals due to the missed or delayed application of infection prevention and control measures, including patient isolation.
• Assess the best treatment for primary and recurrent CD infections, including severe, complicated and fulminant manifestations
• Assess the role of antimicrobial stewardship and infection control to reduce the risk of CD acquisition in the hospital settings
• Assess the role of microbiota/microbiome in CD infection
• Antibiotics and CD infection
The scope of this Research Topic is to collect manuscripts on the epidemiology of CD infection, risk factors for CD infection (primary and recurrent), the pathophysiology of CD infections including the role of toxins, prevention of CD spore spread in the healthcare spread and modes of transmission, specific anti-CD treatment, the role of faecal microbiota transplantation, monoclonal antibodies against toxin B, new therapeutic approaches, antimicrobial stewardship, infection prevention and control.
Among the healthcare-associated (HCA) diarrhea, Clostridioides difficile (CD) represents the commonest causing pathogen worldwide, accounting for about one-half of cases, and it is responsible for increased morbidity, mortality, and prolonged hospital stay. However, in the last years, an important variation in the epidemiology of CD infection has been reported, with a rising incidence of community-acquired cases. New advances in the prevention and treatment of primary and recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection have been reported in the last years.
The main goals of this Research Topic are the following:
• Assess CD underdiagnosis and the reasons for underdiagnosis, which can lead to a delay in prescribing adequate therapy and consequently may cause a higher complication rate. In addition, underdiagnosis may contribute to an increase in the CDI transmission within hospitals due to the missed or delayed application of infection prevention and control measures, including patient isolation.
• Assess the best treatment for primary and recurrent CD infections, including severe, complicated and fulminant manifestations
• Assess the role of antimicrobial stewardship and infection control to reduce the risk of CD acquisition in the hospital settings
• Assess the role of microbiota/microbiome in CD infection
• Antibiotics and CD infection
The scope of this Research Topic is to collect manuscripts on the epidemiology of CD infection, risk factors for CD infection (primary and recurrent), the pathophysiology of CD infections including the role of toxins, prevention of CD spore spread in the healthcare spread and modes of transmission, specific anti-CD treatment, the role of faecal microbiota transplantation, monoclonal antibodies against toxin B, new therapeutic approaches, antimicrobial stewardship, infection prevention and control.