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C. difficile "Super Bug": Not News to Physicians
Sermo is capturing the word on the street among physicians, and over the last three months C. difficile has been a hot topic of discussion
Cambridge, MA - Oct. 10, 2006 — Physician members of Sermo, the fastest growing online community created by physicians for physicians, are not surprised by a study presented on increasing problems with Clostridium difficile infections (C. difficile). Researchers from the CDC reported Thursday that C. difficile infections are becoming more common outside of hospitals — where these infections have historically taken place. Separately, they reported that a more virulent strain of the bug is spreading in hospitals. On Sermo, physicians have been discussing these issues for months, and are working together to determine what they can do to combat this growing threat.
"The research efforts of the CDC and others are hugely important...but at the same time, this is a moving target. The presentation of the disease is changing along with the affected populations. Our physician members are discussing these trends in real time." said Dr. Daniel Palestrant, CEO and Founder of Sermo. "Although controlled research studies will ultimately be necessary to define best practice recommendations, the design and execution of these controlled trials can be informed by the collective insights of the physicians in the Sermo community. On Sermo, physicians talk to each other and get guidance from their peers, just as they always have in formal and informal meetings in hospitals. Indeed, as healthcare in this country has become increasingly outpatient-based, physicians are increasingly disconnected from an effective network of peers. Sermo is working to change this."
In the Sermo community, credentialed, licensed US-based physicians discuss issues related to their careers, share medical insights, and most importantly discuss how they can improve patient care. Physicians caring for patients are the first to see new clinical issues, and Sermo brings them together to detect outbreaks like C. difficile earlier and to build consensus around what the best and most practical steps are in the short term and the long term.
"Public health efforts to identify and appropriately respond to problems such as this almost always benefit from the feedback of practicing physicians, who are nearest to the problem," says Dr. L. Clifford McDonald, the epidemiologist leading the CDC's research on C. difficile.
Sermo is providing physicians with a forum to pool their ideas and observations, and in the case of C. difficile, physicians on Sermo have been discussing the problem and possible solutions for months.
Insights from the Sermo Community on C. difficile
Sermo community physicians are corroborating the CDC's report and discussing how they should respond. Examples of some of the topics of discussion include:
- Possible changes in the virulence of C. difficile that are leading to septicemia.
- What are the best antibiotics to use and under what conditions should physicians prescribe them?
- Debate on when and under what circumstances MDs should be using non-conventional antibiotics to treat C. difficile infections.
- Should PPIs such as Prilosec be available by prescription only? With new knowledge that PPIs might be contributing to the changes in C. difficile infections, physicians are discussing the pros and cons of having PPIs available over the counter.
- Are C difficile infections increasing in health care workers?
- Are existing tests for C difficile accurate?
- Is the prevalence of new hand sanitizers contributing to increases in C difficile transmission?
About Sermo
Launched September 2006, Sermo is already the fastest growing online community, created by physicians for physicians. Its Web-based platform provides a medium for physicians to aggregate observations from daily practice then - rapidly and in large numbers - challenge or corroborate each other's opinions, accelerating the emergence of trends and new insights on medications, devices and treatments. Through Sermo, physicians exchange knowledge with each other the minute it is learned, and gain insights from colleagues as they happen instead of waiting to read about them in conventional media sources. Sermo harnesses the power of collective wisdom and enables physicians to discuss new clinical findings, report unusual events, and work together to dramatically impact patient care. For more information visit www.sermo.com.
Press Contact:
Chris Perkett or Heather Mosley
PerkettPR for Sermo
P: 781-834-5852 or 415-384-0113
E: sermo@perkettpr.com
Greg Shenk
Director of Communications
P: 617-497-1110
gshenk@sermo.com
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