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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffTo help prevent the spread of C. difficile, hospitals and other health care facilities follow strict infection control guidelines. If you have a friend or family member in a hospital or nursing home, don't be afraid to remind caregivers to follow the recommended precautions.
Preventive measures include:
- Hand washing. The current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines recommend that health care workers use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer or wash their hands thoroughly with soap and warm water before and after treating each patient. In some specific circumstances, hand washing may be preferred. Visitors also should use hand hygiene if they have had contact with the patient or environment.
- Contact precautions. People who are hospitalized with C. difficile are cared for in a private room. Hospital workers wear disposable gloves and gowns while in the room.
- Thorough cleaning. In any setting, all surfaces and equipment should be carefully cleaned with a detergent and a hospital-grade disinfectant or chlorine bleach. C. difficile spores can survive routine household disinfectants.
- Avoiding unnecessary use of antibiotics. Antibiotics are often prescribed for viral illnesses that aren't helped by these drugs. Take a wait-and-see attitude with simple ailments. If you do need an antibiotic, ask your doctor to prescribe one that has a narrow range and that you take for the shortest time possible.
- Kelly CP, et al. Patient information: Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (Clostridium difficile). http://www.uptodate.com. Accessed Nov. 3, 2008.
- Bartlett JG. Narrative review: The new epidemic of Clostridium difficile-associated enteric disease. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2006;145:758.
- Kelly CP, et al. Treatment of antibiotic-associated diarrhea caused by Clostridium difficile. http://www.uptodate.com. Accessed Nov. 3, 2008.
- Kelly CP, et al. Clostridium difficile - More difficult than ever. New England Journal of Medicine. 2008;359:1932.
- LaMont JT. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of Clostridium difficile infection. http://www.uptodate.com. Accessed Nov. 3, 2008.
- Durai R. Epidemiology, pathogenesis, and management of Clostridium difficile infection. Digestive Disease Science. 2007;52:2958.
- Monaghan T, et al. Recent advances in Clostridium difficile-associated disease. Gut. 2008;57:850.
- Sunenshine R, et al. Clostridium difficile-associated disease: New challenges from an established pathogen. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine. 2006;73:187.
- Information for healthcare providers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/id_CdiffFAQ_HCP.html. Accessed March 2, 2009.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, et al. Guideline for hand hygiene in health-care settings. MMWR Recommendations and Reports. 2002;51:RR-16. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/rr/rr5116.pdf. Accessed March 2, 2009.
