Bezlotoxumab (Zinplava) for Clostridium Difficile Infection

摘要

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Clostridium difficile (Figure 1) is the most common microbial cause of health care-associated infections in U.S. hospitals, costing up to $4.8 billion each year in excess health care costs for acute-care facilities alone. Older Americans are especially vulnerable to this potentially deadly diarrheal infection. The CDC has reported that two-thirds of health care-associated C. difficile infections (CDI) occur in patients 65 years of age or older. CDI can also affect individuals in the community setting. In addition to hospitalization and advanced age, risk factors for infection include antibiotic use, severe illness, and gastric acid suppression.