PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

RI Hospital researchers identify components in C. diff that may lead to better treatment

C. difficile infection leads to death in approximately 14,000 individuals annually in US

2014-01-31
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Ellen Slingsby
eslingsby@lifespan.org
401-444-6421
Lifespan
RI Hospital researchers identify components in C. diff that may lead to better treatment C. difficile infection leads to death in approximately 14,000 individuals annually in US PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Rhode Island Hospital researchers have identified components in Clostridium difficile (C. diff) that may lead to new diagnostic tools, and ultimately more timely and effective treatment for this often fatal infection. C. diff is a spore-forming bacterium that causes severe diarrhea and is responsible for 14,000 deaths annually in the U.S. The study is published online in advance of print in the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics.

In this study, researchers identified components of the C. diff bacteria that can be used to develop a rapid diagnostic test to determine if a patient with a diarrheal illness has C. diff infection and, if so, if the infection is due to a hypervirulent strain of this bacterium. Such a determination may lead to more rapid initiation of appropriate antibiotics in infected patients with the hope of improving their outcome.

"C. difficle can be a life-threatening infection," said Leonard Mermel, D.O., medical director of the department of epidemiology and infection control at Rhode Island Hospital. "We believe that rapid identification of this bacterium will assist in timely initiation of antimicrobial therapy and admission to a setting where the patient is more appropriately observed based on his or her signs, symptoms and strain of bacteria causing the infection."

The technology revealed in this study can be integrated as a point-of-care device to help quickly detect and identify C. diff strains that pose significant health threats in hospitals and other health care settings.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most serious C. diff cases are in the elderly and individuals with certain medical problems. C. diff spores can live outside the human body and may be transferred to bed linens, bed rails, bathroom fixtures and medical equipment, and other areas in the infected person's environment.

The incidence of C. diff has been on the rise and is increasing in severity and mortality in the U.S. and Europe. The cost of treating C. diff in the U.S. in 2008 topped $4 billion; and in 2006-07 it was responsible for an estimated 14,000 deaths in the U.S.

"With the emergence of a more severe C. diff strain (NAP1/027/B1), there is an urgent need for a highly sensitive and rapid method of detection and strain typing," Mermel said.

Current methods of diagnosing C. diff include stool cultures, toxin testing, enzyme immunoassays and polymerase chain reaction. While often effective, they may be impractical for use in an urgent care setting or emergency department where patients are presenting with gastrointestinal symptoms "The assay we have developed has the potential to quickly and accurately indicate the presence of specific markers of certain hypervirulent strains of C. diff," Mermel said. "We're confident this will lead to more timely, accurate diagnosis and treatment, with the hope that fewer patients will develop serious complications from this infection."

###

The funding was provided in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. Mermel's principal affiliation is Rhode Island Hospital, a member hospital of the Lifespan health system in Rhode Island. He also has an academic appointment at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, department of epidemiology and infection control. Other researchers involved in the study are Stephanie L. Angione and Anubhav Tripathi of the Center for Biomedical Engineering at Brown University; Aleksey Novikov, M.D., and Jennifer Fieber, both of Brown University; and Aartik A. Sarma of Harvard Medical School.

About Rhode Island Hospital

Founded in 1863, Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, R.I., is a private, not-for-profit hospital and is the principal teaching hospital of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. A major trauma center for southeastern New England, the hospital is dedicated to being on the cutting edge of medicine and research. Last year, Rhode Island Hospital received more than $55 million in external research funding. It is also home to Hasbro Children's Hospital, the state's only facility dedicated to pediatric care. For more information on Rhode Island Hospital, visit http://www.rhodeislandhospital.org, follow us on Twitter @RIHospital or like us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/rhodeislandhospitalpage.

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Researchers create database to examine vast resources of health legacy foundations

2014-01-31
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jan. 30, 2014 - Local communities can expect the number and asset size of philanthropic foundations to increase, due to the rise in health ...

A detailed look at HIV in action

2014-01-31
The human intestinal tract, or gut, is best known for its role in digestion. But this collection of organs also plays a prominent ...

Third-hand smoke shown to cause health problems

2014-01-31
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Do not smoke and do not allow yourself to be exposed ...

New study finds differences in concussion risk between football helmets

2014-01-31
Football helmets can be designed to reduce the risk of concussions, according to a new study by some of the nation's leading concussion researchers published today in the Journal of Neurosurgery. The study ...

Secrets of potato blight evolution could help farmers fight back

2014-01-31
Scientists ...

Lemur lovers sync their scents

2014-01-31
DURHAM, N.C. -- The strength of a lemur couple's bond is reflected by the similarity of their scents, finds a new study. "It's like singing a duet, but with ...

New study finds no reason to replace fructose with glucose

2014-01-31
TORONTO, Feb. 1, 2014 – Researchers at St. Michael's Hospital have found there is no benefit in replacing fructose, the sugar most commonly blamed for obesity, with glucose in commercially prepared ...

Use of testosterone therapy linked to heart attacks in men under 65, study shows

2014-01-30
You may have seen one of the many advertisements geared toward men asking if they suffer from "low T" — low testosterone levels that, according to the ads, can result ...

Clinical study finds 'bubble CPAP' boosts neonatal survival rates

2014-01-30
HOUSTON -- (Jan. 29, 2014) -- The first clinical study of a low-cost neonatal breathing system created by Rice University bioengineering students ...

Researchers find novel approach for controlling deadly C. difficile infections

2014-01-30
Researchers from the Alberta Glycomics Centre at the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Discovery of ‘mini halo’ points to how the early universe was formed

Attention scan: How our minds shift focus in dynamic settings 

Do you have a nosy coworker? BU research finds snooping colleagues send our stress levels rising

Research explores human factors in general aviation plane crashes

Study reveals mechanisms behind common mutation and prostate cancer

Beyond the big leagues: Concussion care in community sports

Further insights into the consequences of abnormal chromosome numbers

UC Irvine-led team uncovers cell structures that squids use to change their appearance

New research explores how food insecurity affects stress and mental health

New study confirms that the oldest rocks on Earth are in northern Canada

Study finds link between brain injury and criminal behavior

New research aims to better predict and understand cascading land surface hazards

Deeper sleep is more likely to lead to eureka moments

Hadean-age rocks preserved in the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt, Canada

Novel “digital fossil-mining” approach uncovers hidden fossils, revealing squids’ ancient origins

Review: New framework needed to assess complex “cascading” natural hazards

Flipping an evolutionarily disabled switch unlocks ear tissue regeneration in mice

Ancient squids dominated the ocean 100 million years ago

Public attitudes around solar geoengineering become less politically partisan with more familiarity

COVID-19 pandemic significantly eroded American public’s trust in US public health institutions like the CDC, shows longitudinal assessment from 2020-2024

Extreme droughts in LMICs are associated with increased sexual violence against girls and young women

Scientists capture slow-motion earthquake in action

When ideas travel further than people

British ash woodland is evolving resistance to ash dieback

Aileen Anderson named vice chancellor for research at UC Irvine

MD Anderson Research Highlights for June 26, 2025

Optica Quantum June 2025 issue press tip sheet

New study identifies brain networks underlying psychopathy

A nutritional epigenetics study protocol indicates changes in prenatal ultra-processed food intake may reduce lead and mercury exposures to prevent autism and ADHD

Knowledge Unlatched finds a new home with Annual Reviews

[Press-News.org] RI Hospital researchers identify components in C. diff that may lead to better treatment
C. difficile infection leads to death in approximately 14,000 individuals annually in US