I just finished taking the 2011 LLSA exam to remain eligible for recertification. The only good thing about this test is that it gives me interesting topics for my Paucis Verbis cards.
Here’s a card on a disease process that is becoming increasingly prevalent — Clostridium difficile. This is a summary based on the 2010 guidelines by Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).
Because healthcare workers are often the culprit for transmitting C. difficile to other patients, be sure you wash your hands with soap and water really well. Wear gloves. Be aware that alcohol-based hand rubs (eg. hand sanitizers) are ineffective in killing C. difficile spores.
PV Card: Clostridium Difficile Infection
Adapted from [1]
Go to ALiEM (PV) Cards for more resources.
Reference
- Cohen S, Gerding D, Johnson S, et al. Clinical practice guidelines for Clostridium difficile infection in adults: 2010 update by the society for healthcare epidemiology of America (SHEA) and the infectious diseases society of America (IDSA). Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2010;31(5):431-455. [PubMed]