Study: C. Diff patients discharged to nursing homes need higher level of care

A study found older, hospitalized patients with Clostridioides difficile infections residing in skilled nursing facilities disproportionately experienced poorer health and economic outcomes.  Published in the American Journal of Infection Control, the retrospective study also found 28.3% of C diff patients were discharged to a skilled nursing facility, indicating their need for greater care. The authors say it is critical to implement multidisciplinary infection control and pharmacologic strategies to prevent C diff and future hospitalizations in the nursing home population. The study analyzed 86,646 C diff hospitalizations between July 2019 and December 2022. Among the hospitalizations, only 5.1% of patients were admitted from a skilled nursing facility, but they were more likely to experience inpatient mortality, all-cause readmission, higher hospital costs and longer hospital stays. (American Journal of Infection Control article, 10/24/25)