Presentations from the New Zealand workshop on Clostridium Difficile infection
Presentations given by speakers at the New Zealand workshop on Clostridium Difficile infection (CDI). Links to the presentations can be found at the bottom of the page.
Clostridium difficile infection: the Australian experience
Professor Tom Riley, Department of Microbiology, University of Western Australia
Topics discussed were the history and characteristics of the C difficile bacterium, risk factors for infection, emergence of hospital outbreaks and virulent strains in the US, UK, Europe and Australia, community-acquired CDI, virulent strains, potential animal and food sources of infection and CDI control strategies.
An Australian national approach to C difficile
Dr Marilyn Cruickshank, Program Director, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC)
Dr Cruickshank discussed the Australian health system’s organisation, performance and accountability frameworks and development of national monitoring and surveillance of CDI.
Clostridium difficile infection: New Zealand perspective
Dr Sally Roberts, Infectious Diseases Physician and Clinical Microbiologist, Auckland DHB and HQSC
Dr Roberts reviewed the laboratory diagnosis of CDI in NZ, findings from two national surveys (2009 and 2011), the newly emergent Ribotype 244 in severe community onset CDI in New Zealand and Australia and the previously unrecognised issue of CDI in hospitalised children. She briefly discussed infection prevention and control and surveillance of CDI.
Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) – issues around surveillance and notifiability
Dr John Holmes, Public Health Medicine Specialist, ESR and University of Otago
Dr Holmes outlined the nature of surveillance and disease notification in New Zealand, describing the following options for surveillance of CDI: maintenance of status quo, formalisation of biennial voluntary surveillance, enhanced annual surveillance or laboratory notification.
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