C. Difficile

Clostridium difficile, or C. Diff, for short, are bacteria that live all around our environment—in the soil, air, water and in animal and human feces.  Unfortunately, C. Difficile is having a major impact on health  care.  These tiny bacteria are costing our healthcare system almost $4 billion a year.  Even worse, every year at least 500,000 people develop C. difficile infections; about 30,000 of them die. 

FACTS ABOUT C. DIFFICILE

• C. Diff infections are a concern anywhere healthcare is provided.  Currently, experts believe that one of every four cases of C. diff infection begins in a hospital.  The other 75 percent of cases occur among people in other settings, such as nursing home residents and those recently treated in doctors’ offices. 
• A client’s risk for getting C. Diff increases with age, if they have other medical conditions, if they have recently been hospitalized, if they have had C. Diff before or if they take antibiotics or medicine for heartburn.
• Symptoms of C. Diff include: abdominal pain, frequent watery diarrhea and mucus in the stool.  More severe cases may also cause fever, dehydration, nausea, weight loss and blood in the stool.  C. Diff can be fatal.

HOW YOU CAN HELP PREVENT C. DIFFICILE

• If your client is taking antibiotics, report any change in bowel habits right away.  If the person is developing  C. diff, your sharp observations will make sure that the proper infection control procedures are implemented to stop the bacteria from spreading.
• Don’t cut corners when it comes to infection control.  Wash your hands before working with each client.  Use gloves during client care and, after removing your gloves, wash your hands with soap and water.
• Remember that C. difficile spores are resistant to alcohol.  This means that alcohol-based hand sanitizers may not kill C. diff bacteria. 
• Use Contact Precautions with clients who have a known or suspected C. diff infection.  Continue contact precautions at least until the client’s diarrhea ceases.  (Some facilities continue to keep clients isolated for several days after the diarrhea stops or until the client is discharged—whichever comes first.  Follow your workplace policies.)
• Follow your client’s care plan for any diet restrictions.  If there are none, help the person maintain adequate nutrition by offering easy-to-digest foods like crackers, bananas, soup, boiled vegetables or rice.