A new Infection thematic review series, led by Dr Steven Opal (Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island, USA) has just been launched in Critical Care, with the first article published being a timely paper documenting the global spread of Clostridium difficile.

Described as a good reference for clinicians faced with this issue, the authors Carolyn V Gould and L Clifford McDonald, from the Centers for Disease Control, detail the pathogenesis, diagnosis and possible treatment strategies in this most topical of hospital-acquired infections.  The onus is on healthcare professionals to maintain awareness of the changing epidemiology of the disease, as well introducing measures to reduce the risk to patients.  

In a related commentary, Aurora Pop-Vicas and Marguerite Neill (Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island) reiterate the statements made in the review, and conclude that only through following basic standards of hygiene will slow down the spread of transmission, placing the responsibility squarely ‘in our hands’.

Review
Bench-to-bedside review: Clostridium difficile colitis
Carolyn V Gould, L Clifford McDonald
Critical Care 2007, 12:203 (18 January 2008)
[Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

Commentary
Clostridium difficile: the increasingly difficult pathogen
Aurora Pop-Vicas, Marguerite A Neill
Critical Care 2008, 12:114 (7 February 2008)
[Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

More authoritative reviews in this exciting new series will be published continuously online in the coming weeks and months. Critical Care’s reviews and commentaries require a subscription for access, but if you do not currently have a subscription to the journal, you can register for a free 30-day trial.

All research articles published in Critical Care are open access.

Surayya Johar
In-house Editor, Critical Care