Division of Infectious Disease, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
J Hosp Med. 2012 Mar;7 Suppl 3:S1-4. doi: 10.1002/jhm.1916.
Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is increasingly common, and it is associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and cost burden for patients and the healthcare system. The severity and rates of recurrent CDI and associated mortality are also increasing. This article is an overview of the changes in CDI epidemiology that have occurred since the turn of the century and the current scope of the problem. The 3 articles that follow in this supplement address the diagnosis and treatment of initial and recurrent CDI, and current practice guidelines for the prevention and control of CDI in the hospital setting.
艰难梭菌感染（CDI）日益常见，它会给患者和医疗系统带来严重的发病率、死亡率和经济负担。复发性 CDI 的严重程度和发生率也在增加。本文概述了自本世纪初以来 CDI 流行病学的变化，以及当前的问题范围。本增刊中的后续 3 篇文章介绍了初发性和复发性 CDI 的诊断和治疗，以及医院环境中 CDI 预防和控制的现行实践指南。
