CDC to Enhance Colon Infection Surveillance

Steady increases in the rate and severity of Clostridium difficile infection, a health care-acquired infection affecting the colon, indicate a clear need to conduct longitudinal assessments of the impact of the condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Consequently, CDC wants to collect up to 8,750 CDI Surveillance Report Forms from infection surveillance professionals during a one-year period, according to a notice published Aug. 31 in the Federal Register. Half of the reporting will involve fully completing the surveillance forms, which takes about an hour, according to CDC. The other half of reporting will consist of partially completing the forms, a 15-minute task.

"The proposed surveillance for CDI through the Emerging Infections Program will expand CDC capacity to monitor incidence of C. difficile in community and healthcare settings as well as to monitor and detect antimicrobial resistance," CDC notes in the published notice. "This activity supports the HHS Action Plan for elimination of healthcare-associated infections."

The notice is available here.

--Joseph Goedert