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Standardized Infection ratio for Clostridium difficile infections (C. diff)

Current Value

0.796

2018

Definition

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Story Behind the Curve

Author: Health Surveillance, Vermont Department of Health

Last Updated: February 2019


In January 2017, the baseline used to calculate the Standardized Infection Ratio (SIR) for C. difficile was updated. This serves as the latest “reference point” for comparing progress. For this reason, there is no benchmark to compare our progress before this point.

In 2015, C. difficile reporting became required for most Vermont hospitals, allowing the Health Department to track Vermont’s progress. In 2017, the Health Department began publishing C. difficile data annually.

Antibiotics can be lifesaving when taken appropriately. Antibiotics kill harmful bacteria to protect against infections, but also destroy the good bacteria living in your body. It takes several months for the good bacteria to recover after being exposed to antibiotics. During this time, harmful bacteria, like C. difficile, can take over and make patients sick. C. difficile causes serious diarrheal illness and can be picked up from contaminated surfaces or spread from a health care provider’s hands. Older adults who take antibiotics and get medical care are at the highest risk.

Why Is This Important?

This indicator is part of Healthy Vermonters 2020 (the State Health Assessment) that documents the health status of Vermonters at the start of the decade and the population health indicators and goals that will guide the work of public health through 2020. Click here for more information.

Partners

  • Hospitals

What Works

Vermont follows nationally determined evidence-based programs. Patient lives can be saved when health care providers follow CDC’s 6 Steps to Prevention, which include aggressive cleaning and infection control protocols, along with smart antibiotic prescribing recommendations. The Health Department works with Vermont’s hospitals and long-term care facilities to implement comprehensive prevention programs.

For more information on antibiotic stewardship:

https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/core-elements/index.html

For more information on C. difficile: https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/HAI/StoppingCdifficile/index.html

Strategy

The Health Department sponsors the statewide Collaborative to Prevent Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance (C-PHAR) in which acute and long-term care facilities work together to prevent infections like C. difficile.

This work is funded by both a federal grant from CDC and state dollars.

Clear Impact Suite is an easy-to-use, web-based software platform that helps your staff collaborate with external stakeholders and community partners by utilizing the combination of data collection, performance reporting, and program planning.

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