Artificial Differences in Clostridium difficile Infection Rates Associated with Disparity in Testing.

In 2015, Clostridium difficile testing rates among 30 US community, multispecialty, and cancer hospitals were 14.0, 16.3, and 33.9/1,000 patient-days, respectively. Pooled hospital onset rates were 0.56, 0.84, and 1.57/1,000 patient-days, respectively. Higher testing rates may artificially inflate reported rates of C. difficile infection. C. difficile surveillance should consider testing frequency.

The relationship between vitamin D and cancer.

Vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin naturally present in very few foods, is synthesized when ultraviolet rays from sunlight contact the skin. Research suggests that vitamin D insufficiency may result from lack of exposure to sunlight and ultraviolet-B radiation. Individuals from geographic areas of high latitude and low sunlight exposure may be at increased risk for vitamin D deficiency. Emerging evidence supports the protective role of vitamin D in the prevention of several cancers, including breast, colon, and prostate.

Effects of dietary flaxseed oil supplementation on equine plasma fatty acid concentrations and whole blood platelet aggregation.

An 18-week feeding trial was performed to investigate the effects of an omega-3 (n-3) fatty acid-enriched ration on plasma fatty acid concentrations and platelet aggregation in healthy horses. Flaxseed oil served as the source of the n-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Twelve horses were fed dietary maintenance requirements using a complete pelleted ration (80%) and timothy grass hay (20%) for a 2-week acclimation period before being randomly assigned either to a treatment (group 1) or control (group 2) group. Group 2 horses (n = 6) were fed the diet described in the acclimation period, whereas group I horses (n = 6) were fed a 10% flaxseed oil-enriched complete pellet (80%) and grass hay (20%). Biological samples and physical measurements were collected at one point during the acclimation period (week 0) and every 4 weeks thereafter (weeks 4, 8, 12, and 16). Body weight, CBC (including platelet count), plasma fibrinogen. electrolyte (Na, K, and Cl) concentrations, and biochemical profile enzyme activities (aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, and creatine kinase) did not change markedly with diet. Platelet aggregation was not altered by the supplementation of flaxseed oil in these healthy horses, although increases in plasma cis-polyunsaturated 18-carbon fatty acids C18:3; n-3 (ALA) and C18:2; n-6 (linoleic acid), biologically active C20:5; n-3 (eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA]), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were evident. There were no marked decreases in C20:4; n-6 (arachidonic acid [AA]) or increases in C22:6; n-3 (docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]), signifying that flaxseed oil may have had a high percentage of omega-6 (n-6) fatty acids as well as n-3 fatty acids, and this relatively high n-6: n-3 fatty acid ratio may have affected the biochemical effect of n-3 fatty acids. In healthy horses supplemented with flaxseed oil, platelet aggregation was not altered, which may have been due to the limited biologic effect in healthy subjects or the inability of flaxseed oil to induce the necessary biochemical effect of replacing n-6 fatty acids with n-3 types.