infection control on clostridum difficile?

Question

working with Clostridium Difficile in care home need to know what infection control measures are been used elsewhere

Answer 1

Our patients are barrier nursed in their own cubicle and universal precautions used. hand hygiene is the biggy that is under estimated. Your organisation should have clear guidelines and policies for you to follow if not you need to ask WHY

Answer 2

Having just recently lost my dear Mum to this dreadfull infection, I would say that hospitals are the worst place to be in with regard to infection control! My mum went into hospital with a badly gashed leg, but in otherwise quite good health for her age (86yrs). She contracted the c.difficile infection from within the hospital wards and which caused her death 3wks later and she never came home to us again. Death from this infection, is very long and painful and I would not like to see anyone else go through this as my Mum had to.
Cross infection is easily enabled by the inadequate precautions taken by staff, visitors and even patients. Also, the lack of vigilance by staff in not noticing when patients are showing possible signs of infection and are deteriorating dangerously with dehydration amd diarrhoae. Patients using communial commodes, one after the other (if one can be found available when needed!). PAT dogs are allowed into wards, patients are patting them and the dog passes the infection on to the next patient who pats it! I personally witnessed this happening in my mum's ward and none of the patients washed their hands after stroking the dog!
There are so many precautions that need to be taken to control cross infection and isolation and cleanliness is the only way really.
C.difficile does not like soap and water, so hand washing is very, very important. I was given soiled bedclothes to take home in normal carrier bags and not in the pink bags that should have been used and if I had not been very careful with cleanliness myself, I and my family could of easily been infected also.
My mum was not diagnosed with C.Difficile until 2/3 days before her death, although I suspect she had this for 2 weeks previously and it went untreated, although I had protested to staff many times about my mother's deterioration and very poorly state. She was unable to eat or drink properly for 2 weeks due to untreated thrush of her mouth (again untreated until staff realised that death was imminent and then they could not do enough for her!)
It took the Coroners Office to make sure that this infection was put on my mum's interim death certificate, as the hospital doctors ingnored this. We are now awaiting an Inquest into the actual cause of death, and there are some questions that will need to be answered.
If you would like to know more about this dreadful infection and how it is affecting thousands of unsuspecting patients throughout the U.K then please visit the forum on the c.diff support website at www.cdiff-support.co.uk where there are many helpful people who are talking about their personal experiences in the N.H.S
Thankyou for taking the time to read my answer and I hope it has been helpful.

Answer 3

It would be nice to know if you are asking how to control an infection from the clostridum or infection control from and to each other client.

If you are looking for something that can control the infection when this gets infected try a bit of athletes foot cream, or ask the doctor for an order of nystatin. You can also try yeast infection medication.

I love it when I get thumbs down (ps I worked in nursing facilities for 12 years)

Answer 4

C-Dif is a contact transmission organism. In the hospitals we use paper gowns, gloves, and strict hand washing. We red bag the patient's linens. Long term care facilities in our area do the same thing. Change your shoes. After working around a person with C-dif you may want to spray the shoes with Lysol. We have had recent outbreaks of children with C-dif after contacting it via a mothers uniform. Avoid wearing your uniform to pick up your kids. Try to change your clothes immediately. If I can, I bring a change of clothes in to work and leave them in my locker.

Answer 5

barrier nursing.

though having worked on many different wards, that tends to go out of the window.
its not adhered to strictly and many staff arent informed of a patients status (i.e bank staff)
domestics will mop the floor around a c-diff patient then around others.
trollies for linen/pads/wipes are never cleaned enough.

however, we do try our best. honest.

Answer 6

This is an important question in the light of where you work and how it is contagious.
Scrupulous hand washing and proper cleanup is a start.

Answer 7

http://www.wsh.nhs.uk/InfectionControl/Clostridium%20difficille.htm

http://www.bioquell.com/us/microbiology.asp?id=139


this should help you