LAUSR

C lostridium difficile, now referred to as Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile), is the most commonly identified cause of healthcare-associated infection among adults in the United States.1 Because C. difficile infection results in significant mortality and inpatient costs, its persistence threatens to undermine patient safety and the value of healthcare delivery.1 A standardized, evidence-based approach to diagnosis and management is crucial. However, inconsistencies remain with regard to the appropriate threshold for testing, the type of diagnostic tests used, and treatment. Knowledge of these areas has progressed since the publication of the previous C. difficile guidelines in 2010. These guidelines contain 53 recommendations across 35 sections based on a systematic weighting of the strength of recommendation and quality of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system. Herein, we have chosen to highlight five of these recommendations most relevant to hospitalists.