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14 INFECTION CONTROL C. diff burden dropped by almost 25% over 5 years By Gabrielle Masson T he national burden of healthcare-acquired Clos- tridium difficile infections decreased by 36% be- tween 2011-17, according to a study published April 2 in The New England Journal of Medicine. The Emerging Infections Program used C. difficile infections at 10 U.S. sites to estimate the national burden of C. difficile through infection rates, recur- rences, hospitalizations and hospital deaths from 2011 through 2017. The estimated national number of C. difficile infec- tions and associated hospitalizations decreased over the five years, mostly because of the decline in healthcare-associated infections. The study found 15,461 C. difficile cases in 2011 at the 10 sites, with 10,177 healthcare-associated C. difficile infections. In 2017, there were 15,512 total C. difficile cases at the 10 sites, with 7,973 healthcare-associat- ed cases. The estimated C. difficile national burden decreased by 24 percent from 2011-17. The national burden of healthcare-associated C. difficile infections decreased by 36 percent, whereas the community-as- sociated rate was unchanged. The estimated number of hospitalizations for C. difficile infections decreased by 24 percent over the five years. n Hand-washing song translated into 26 languages amid pandemic By Mackenzie Bean R esearchers translated an informative hand-washing song into 26 different languages to help promote hand hygiene compliance during the pandemic, according to an article published in The Journal of Hospital Infection. Researchers in Canada and the U.K. developed the song, sung to the tune of "Brother John" or "Frère Jacques," in late 2019 to help children remem- ber the World Health Organization's six-step hand hygiene technique. In March, the researchers invited 40 colleagues, including music neurosci- ence researchers, music education specialists and healthcare professionals to create new versions of the hand-washing song in different languages. Within one week, researchers received 26 translations, each of which were reviewed by a healthcare professional for accuracy. Combined with the existing French and English versions of the song, there are now 28 available versions covering languages from five continents. "Most hand hygiene promotion campaigns focus on indications for action rather than on technique," researchers said. "Thus, continuing to promote correct hand-washing technique is currently of utmost importance to the world population, especially given the dispropor- tionate burden of COVID-19 on older adults, and emerging evidence of asymptomatic shedding." n Protect your staff. Protect your patients. Track & Improve Hand Hygiene with Automation MK-098 Rev A vitalacy.com