Publications
The first national guidelines for the prevention and control of C. difficile-associated disease were published in Ireland by the HSE-Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) in May 2008. Since publication, there has been significant developments in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of C. difficile infection (CDI). The 2008 guidelines have been recently updated and were approved by the Scientific Advisory Committee of the HPSC in February 2013. The updated guidelines are currently being reviewed by the National Clinical Effectiveness Committee, Department of Health.
The updated guidelines are divided into four sections:
- Section A: Background (which includes an overview of CDI epidemiology in Ireland, summary of the financial and clinical impact of CDI, aims & scope and methodology for guideline review & an overview of potential barriers to implementation)
- Section B: Recommendations in a question and answer format
- Section C: Rationale for recommendations
- Section D: Appendices and references.
We plan to publish the updated guidelines in a more user friendly format in the coming months. In the meantime the full guidelines and a summary of the recommendations are available here.
Surveillance, Diagnosis and Management of Clostridium difficile Infection in Ireland Update of 2008 Guidance
Surveillance, Diagnosis and Management of Clostridium difficile Infection in Ireland
Update of 2008 Guidance: Summary of Recommendations
Epi-Insight Articles
Feedback sought on updated Clostridium difficile guidelines - Epi-Insight, Volume 13, Issue 11, November 2012
Clostridium difficile increasingly recognised as a problem in the community - Epi-Insight, Volume 13, Issue 1, January 2012
Epidemiology of Clostridium difficile in Ireland: May 2008 - December 2009 - Epi-Insight, Volume 11, Issue 3, March 2010
1607 cases of Clostridium difficile reported in 2008 - Epi-Insight, Volume 10, Issue 3, March 2009
C. difficile-associated disease in Ireland - Epi-Insight, Volume 9, Issue 6, June 2008
Focus on Clostridium difficile - Epi-Insight, Volume 7, Issue 6, June 2006
Infectious Disease Outbreaks in Ireland, 2004 - Epi Insight, Volume 7, Issue 4, April 2006
Last updated: 27 November 2012
Other Articles
An investigation of the subtype diversity of clinical isolates of Irish Clostridium difficile ribotypes 027 and 078 by repetitive-extragenic palindromic PCR. Solomon K, Murray S, Scott L, McDermott S, Drudy D, Martin A, O'Donoghue C, Skally M, Burns K, Fenelon L, Fitzpatrick F, Kyne L, Fanning S. J Med Microbiol. 2011 Aug;60(Pt 8):1080-7
Burns K, Skally M, Solomon K, Scott L, McDermott S, O'Flanagan D, Fanning S, Kyne L, Fenelon L, Fitzpatrick F. Clostridium difficile infection in the Republic of Ireland: results of a 1-month national surveillance and ribotyping project, March 2009. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. Oct;31(10):1085-7. 2010
PCR ribotype prevalence and molecular basis of macrolide–lincosamide–streptogramin B (MLSB) and fluoroquinolone resistance in Irish clinical Clostridium difficile isolates - Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. September 2011; 66(9):1976-1982. Solomon K, Fanning S, McDermott S, Murray S, Scott L, Martin A, Skally M, Burns K, Kuijper E, Fitzpatrick F, Fenelon L, Kyne L
Update of Clostridium difficile infection due to PCR ribotype 027 in Europe, 2008 - Eurosurveillance, Volume 13, Issue 31, 31 July 2008
Laboratory diagnosis of Clostridium difficile-associated disease in the Republic of Ireland: a survey of Irish microbiology laboratories - J Hosp Infect. 2008 Apr;68(4):315-21. Fitzpatrick F, Oza A, Gilleece A, O'Byrne AM, Drudy D; C. difficile subcommittee of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre.
