Clostridium difficile, the superbug, has been found to prolong patients’ stays in hospital by an average of six days, according to a new study.
This, in turn, is placing a serious financial strain on Canada's health-care system, as well as stretching resources in already-crowded hospitals considerably.
Clostridium difficile, also known as C. difficile, is a bacteria found in feces and leads to severe diarrhea.
It is extremely common in hospitals because it is usually contracted by people after taking antibiotics, which can kill good bowel bacteria and enable C. difficile to grow.
The bacteria can also spread through surfaces like toilets, handles and bedpans, and hospital staff can spread it by not wearing gloves or washing their hands.
It's the most common cause of infectious diarrhea in hospitals, and one in 10 patients who get it will die, regardless of how sick they were beforehand.
The study, led by Dr. Alan Forster of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, examined hospital admissions between 2002 and 2009.
During this period, 1,393 patients contracted C. difficile and they spent 34 days in hospital compared with eight days for patients who did not have the superbug.
"Hospital-acquired C. difficile significantly and independently prolongs the duration of a patient's stay in hospital," the study authors note, reports Reuters.
"Although a formal cost analysis is beyond the scope of our study, the estimated total cost of caring for patients who acquire this organism in hospital is substantial,” they wrote.
The study is published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal: http://www.cmaj.ca/
