Clostridium difficile infection in elderly nursing home residents

• Nursing homes have been pinpointed as frequent sources of contamination.
• The deteriorating health status of residents and the close contact between them promote bacterial colonisation.
• The risk of Clostridium difficile acquisition by nursing home residents during a hospital stay is significant.
• Residents can be asymptomatic carriers while still representing a potential source of contamination among other patients.

Age-related changes in intestinal flora and host defences, the receipt of antibiotic treatment, and the presence of underlying diseases are some of the most common risk factors associated with Clostridium difficile infection. Therefore, retirement care facilities for elderly people have been pinpointed as frequent sources of contamination. There is only limited data regarding the presence and epidemiology of C. difficile in nursing homes, and this gap in the current literature emphasises the need to gain a better understanding of the situation in order to prevent the emergence of new outbreaks among this population group.