Nearly 10 years ago I raised an issue about deaths in the hospital. Currently there are an estimated 1,400 deaths per year with C. difficile in the hospitals...common classes of medications, proton-pump inhibitors, acid suppressants.... I was told then that CNISP, the nosocomial infection surveillance program, would get to the bottom of it, but amazingly, they did not collect the data on the meds they were on at admission. I understand we're working now to get that corrected, and they're going to actually collect the data. That would be very helpful.
I have a question that maybe you can answer, and I'll direct this to Dr. Sharma.
Labels...there are warning devices out there. There's a fact sheet on C. difficile. In 2004 when I raised it the first time, there was a great two or three paragraphs at least explaining the biological plausibility and why taking people off these meds might be an important way to reduce the risk, 40% to 270% we now know, of contracting an infection that could take your life. The warnings got weaker. After the DSEN, the drug safety and effectiveness network, reported just a short time ago confirming the concerns I've been raising for 10 years, amazingly, PHAC moved to take the warning, even the one liner, off the three-page fact sheet on C. difficile.
Can you explain how that's possible?