Microsoft word - clostridium difficile-e.doc

Clostridium Difficile
What is Clostridium Difficile (C. diff)?
C. diff is one of the many types of bacteria that can be found in feces (bowel movement).
What is C. diff Disease?
C. diff occurs when antibiotics kill your good bowel bacteria and allows the C. diff to grow. When C. diff grows, itproduces toxins. These toxins can damage the bowel and may cause diarrhea. C. diff disease is usually mild butsometimes can be severe. In severe cases, surgery may be needed, and in extreme cases C. diff may cause death. C.
diff is the most common cause of infectious diarrhea in hospitals or long-term care homes.
The main symptoms of C. diff disease are:
„ Watery diarrhea„ Fever„ Abdominal pain or tenderness Who Gets C. diff?
C. diff disease usually occurs during or after the use of antibiotics. Old age, presence of other serious illnesses andpoor overall health may increase the risk of severe disease.
How Will Your Doctor Know That You Have C. diff?
If you have symptoms of C. diff, your doctor will ask for a sample of your watery stool. The laboratory will test thestool to see if C. diff toxins are present.
How is C. diff Treated?
Treatment depends on how sick you are. People with mild symptoms may not need treatment. For more severedisease, antibiotics are required.
How Does C. diff Spread?
When a person has C. diff disease, the bacteria in the stool can contaminate surfaces such as toilets, handles,bedpans, or commode chairs. When touching these items our hands can become contaminated. If we then touch ourmouth without washing our hands, we can become infected. Our soiled hands can also spread the bacteria to othersurfaces.
How to Prevent Spread?
If you are in the hospital and have C. diff. diarrhea, you will be put on precautions until you are free from diarrheafor at least two days. Your activities outside the room may be restricted. All health care staff who enter your roomwear a gown and gloves. Everyone MUST clean their hands when leaving your room.
Always wash your hands after using the bathroom. Cleaning hands is the most important way for everyone toprevent the spread of C. diff. As well, a thorough cleaning of your room and equipment will be done to preventspread of the infection.
What Should I Do at Home?
Healthy people like your family and friends who are not taking antibiotics are at very low risk of getting C. diffdisease.
Hand hygiene
Wash your hands for at least 15 seconds :
„ After using the toilet„ After touching dirty surfaces„ Before eating„ Before preparing meals Cleaning the house
Use an all purpose household cleaner. Follow the directions on the label, and :
„ Wet the surface well and clean using good friction„ Allow the surface to air dry„ Pay special attention to areas that may be soiled with feces such as the toilet and sink. Remove any visible Cleaning clothes/other fabric
Wash clothes/fabric separately if they are heavily soiled with feces :
„ Rinse off feces„ Clean in a hot water cycle with soap„ Dry items in the dryer on high heat, if possible„ Dry clean where appropriate Cleaning dishes
Regular cleaning – use the dishwasher or clean by hand with soap and water.
It is very important that you take all your medication as prescribed by your doctor. You should not use any drugs
from the drugstore that will stop your diarrhea (e.g. Imodium). If diarrhea persists or comes back, contact your
doctor.
C. difficile Rate:
The C. difficile infection rate is calculated as a rate per 1,000 patient days.
The “total patient days” represents the sum of the number of days during which services were provided to allinpatients during the given time period.
The rate is calculated as follows:
Number of new hospital acquired cases of C. difficile at Notre-Dame Hospital x 1000Total number of patient days (for one month)

Source: http://www.ndh.on.ca/pdf/Clostridium%20Difficile-e.pdf