ABSTRACT
Epidemiology and statistics Found in faecal fl ora of 3-5% of healthy adults. ➤ Found in stools of 10% of hospitalised adults without diarrhoea who receive ➤ antibiotics. Infects approximately 20% of hospitalised patients taking antibiotics. ➤ Predominately a problem of older people. Increasing age increases risk of ➤ infection and severity. In April-June 2009 the Health Protection Agency (HPA) reported 6 855 cases of ➤ C. diffi cile, 5 484 (80%) occurred in patients aged 65 or above. Reported cases of ➤ C. diffi cile in the UK are now falling. Th e HPA have reported a steady decline from 16 864 cases in April-June 2007 to 6 855 cases April-June 2009.
