What is the role of a nurse in the prevention and management of Literature review

What is the role of a nurse in the prevention and management of antibiotic associated diarrhoea and clostridium difficle infection in elderly patients - Literature review Example These are diseases that are very threatening in someone’s life and so they need prevention and control especially in elderly patients (Poutanen. and Simor, 2008). According to researchers, Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea is a nosocomial infection that occurs after antimicrobial treatment (Jennie et al, 2001). Affected patients excrete large numbers of clostridium difficile spores. These spores survive for many months in the environment. They cannot be destroyed by hand disinfection and thus persist despite usual environmental cleaning agents. These factors increase the risk of transmission of C. difficile. The researchers (Jennie et al, 2001) did a quantitative study and came up with the results and conclusion to show the part of environmental measures to prevention of AAD and D. Difficile disease. Researchers found out that infection control measures as well as Restrictive antibiotic policies have indicated to reduce Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea (CDAD) incidence among the patients that are hospitalized. It well known that since time memorial, the environmental disinfectants role in reducing nosocomial CDAD rates has no t been studied well. Jennie et al, (2001) conducted a study (before and after intervention) whereby patients in 3 units had to be evaluated in order to ascertain if the solution of unbuffered 1:10 hypochlorite was effective in terms of environmental disinfectant in reducing the CDAD incidence. Basing on the results, it was observed that amongst 4252 patients with bone marrow transplant, the CDAD incidence rate decreased substantially from 8.6 to 3.3 cases per 1000 patients-days (in this case, the hazard ratio was 0.37; at 95% confidence interval, 0.19–0.74) after switching of the disinfectants from quaternary ammonium to 1:10 hypochlorite solution in the patients’ room that had CDAD. When it was reverted later to