Information on this page is intended for UK healthcare professionals only and may contain promotional material
Spread the Word, Not C. diff
“Spread the Word, Not C. diff” is a campaign provided by Tillotts Pharma UK, as a call to action to help the NHS with its C. diff challenge.
What is C. diff?
Clostridioides difficile, also known as C. difficile or C. diff, is a type of bacteria that usually lives harmlessly in the gut alongside lots of other types of bacteria.1 When the balance of gut bacteria is disturbed, C. diff can cause an infection.1 Ongoing contamination can be a potential problem and a cause of onward transmission.2
People are more likely to develop C. diff if they1,3:
Are over 65 years of age
Have recently taken antibiotics
Have a weakened immune system
Recently received in-patient care in a hospital
Have had a previous C. diff infection
Symptoms of C. diff include1,3:
- Watery diarrhoea several times a day
- A high temperature
- A loss of appetite
- Feeling sick
- Stomach pain
- Signs of dehydration
Why is C. diff an issue in the UK?
C. diff can be life threatening with observed increases in the number of deaths as the number of cases increase.5
The financial burden is substantial, with each recurrent C. diff infection estimated to cost the NHS over £30,000.4
Significant progress was made to reduce infections of C. diff from April 2007, following a high-profile spike in cases, with measures including5,6:
- Mandatory surveillance and target-setting
- Additional limits on antibiotic prescribing
- Increased compliance with isolation, handwashing and hygiene protocols
Since 2021, cases have risen, and the NHS reached a 10-year high in 2023, demonstrating that further work is required to address this challenge.7
What can be done to address this challenge?
NICE and UKHSA have provided detailed guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of C. diff:
- For prevention, diagnosis and management:
- UK Health Security Agency and Department of Health and Social Care: “Clostridium difficile infection: How to deal with the problem”8
- Department of Health and Social Care: “Updated guidance on diagnosis and reporting of Clostridium difficile”9
- NICE: “Healthcare-associated infections: prevention and control in primary and community care”10
- NICE guideline NG199 sets out an antimicrobial prescribing strategy for managing C. diff infection in adults, young people and children aged 72 hours and over in community and hospital settings. It aims to optimise antibiotic use and reduce antibiotic resistance. The recommendations do not cover diagnosis11
Tillotts is proposing collaborative approaches to prevent and diagnose C. diff, and tackle the inequalities associated with its increasing and varied prevalence. We are calling for:
- Improved awareness and understanding of the impact of C. diff, especially hospital referrals, admissions and length of stay
- A greater focus on testing of C. diff
- A coordinated approach to tackling variations and inequalities
See below for further informative and educational resources.
Educational modules/events for UK healthcare professionals (HCPs)
Tillotts Pharma UK developed free, educational modules to support HCPs to improve their knowledge surrounding C. diff, and recently hosted a series of evening events around the local rises in C. diff cases. If you are a UK HCP, please get in touch with your local Tillotts representative for more information about educational modules/events.
C. diff: Forgotten But Not Gone
In 2023, to raise the profile of CDI in the UK and to support HCPs in the early suspicion and identification of CDI, Tillotts created an awareness campaign, “C. diff forgotten but not gone”. If you are a UK healthcare professional and would like to view the awareness website, please click below:
References
1 NHS. Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infection. Available at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/c-difficile/ [Accessed November 2024].
2 Davies K An Analysis of Clostridium difficile Environmental Contamination During and After Treatment for C difficile Infection Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/ofid/article/7/11/ofaa362/5893473 by UCL, London user on 18 January 2021
3 NHS Inform. Clostridium difficile. https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/clostridium-difficile/ [Accessed November 2024].
4 Tresman J Antimicrob Chemother 2018; 73: 2851–2855. doi:10.1093/jac/dky250 Advance Access publication 2 July 2018
5 UKHSA. 30 day all-cause mortality following MRSA, MSSA and Gram-negative bacteraemia and C. difficile infections: 2022 to 2023 report. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mrsa-mssa-and-e-coli-bacteraemia-and-c-difficile-infection-30-day-all-cause-fatality/30-day-all-cause-mortality-following-mrsa-mssa-and-gram-negative-bacteraemia-and-c-difficile-infections-2022-to-2023-report [Accessed November 2024].
6 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Clostridium difficile infection: risk with broad-spectrum antibiotics. Available at https://www.nice.org.uk/advice/esmpb1/chapter/key-points-from-the-evidence [Accessed October 2024].
7 Annual epidemiological commentary: Gram-negative, MRSA, MSSA bacteraemia and C. difficile infections, up to and including financial year 2023 to 2024. Updated 26 September 2024. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mrsa-mssa-and-e-coli-bacteraemia-and-c-difficile-infection-annual-epidemiological-commentary/annual-epidemiological-commentary-gram-negative-mrsa-mssa-bacteraemia-and-c-difficile-infections-up-to-and-including-financial-year-2023-to-2024 [Accessed November 2024].
8 Department of Health. Clostridium difficile infection: How to deal with the problem. Available at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7edda9e5274a2e8ab48b25/Clostridium_difficile_infection_how_to_deal_with_the_problem.pdf [Accessed October 2024].
9 Department of Health. Clostridium difficile: updated guidance on diagnosis and reporting. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/updated-guidance-on-the-diagnosis-and-reporting-of-clostridium-difficile [Accessed November 2024].
10 NICE. Healthcare-associated infections: prevention and control in primary and community care. Clinical guideline [CG139] Published: 28 March 2012
11 NICE. Clostridioides difficile infection: antimicrobial prescribing. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng199/resources/visual-summary-pdf-9194639149 [Accessed November 2024].
NU-02602 | December 2024
