Getting less attention but fast catching up with other superbugs is Clostridium difficile, commonly known as C. diff.
C. diff is a spore-forming organism that causes infections and outbreaks. Normally found in health care facilities, there are indications it is now being contracted in other settings as well, according to Medical News Today.
For instance, some of the latest figures indicate:
The number of infections in U.S. hospitals doubled from 2001 to 2005.
Deaths involving C. diff in England and Wales rose 28 percent between 2006 and 2007.
In 2005, 301,200 cases of C. diff/C. diff-associated disease were recorded in U.S. hospitals, resulting in approximately 28,600 deaths.
The number of C. diff cases in nursing and other care centers may be close to 500,000 annually.
Once relatively safe
C. diff is not new and, historically, treatable. It is transmitted through the bacteria in feces, which can survive for months on all types of surfaces-ranging from railings and counters to faucets and sanitary napkin disposal units-a common area.
People become infected when they touch these surfaces and ingest the bacteria by touching their mouths or eating contaminated food.
And now, C. diff is gradually becoming resistant to certain antibiotics-requiring a variety of powerful antibiotics to eradicate the organism.
Cleaning and touching
Health care experts say there is no question that more effective cleaning can help stop the spread of C. diff. Bleach and mechanical cleaning action, such as high-flow fluid extraction or no-touch cleaning systems, are typically required to eliminate it.
Further, reducing the number of things “touched” in a restroom setting can help as well. For instance, sanitary napkin disposal units should be replaced with foot-operated or sensor-controlled systems. Lids open and close automatically without touching.
According to Dr. Alfonso Torress-Cook, an Orange County, CA, epidemiologist, who has helped the Tustin Rehabilitation Hospital, Tustin, CA, reduce its C. diff cases by nearly 90 percent, the solution is simple. “We cut C. diff infections dramatically by just cleaning more thoroughly,” asserts Dr. Torress-Cook.
Certain hospitals in the UK are using steam cleaning machines to combat the unique bug. C-diff when cleaned with conventional tools and disinfectants can still leave the spores that are the cause of the spread. Proper cleaning tools and implementation of training will reduce the impact of C-diff in your facility. OctoClean with the use of Kaivac equipment (kaivac.com) has been able to provide a high level of cleaning for healthcare facilities in the Inland Empire area.
Tags: Add new tag, c-diff, environmental services, Healthcare, housekeeping
The difficulty with C-Diff isn’t necessarily that it is difficult to kill rather that many times the facility does not know that a patient has it. This organism typically affects the elderly. Immune systems are weakened for many reason. Many times patients that are of this age and in and out of hospitals have irritable bowels due to new medications, lack of consistent sleep, food and liquids. They usually overlook the symptoms and chalk it up to that my stomach is upset. In many cases some patients have had it for days or weeks before it has been properly diagnosed. What does that mean for us? Well, that patient has typically been in and out of several areas, offices, exam rooms and/or patient rooms before anyone realizes that they are carrying c-diff. From that point understanding where that patient has been and properly cleaning and disinfecting those areas are important. Do you we have enough information to properly clean and disinfect for c-diff? Are we taking preventative measures? What are they? How can we be part of the solution? This is worth discussing!!! This issue is outside of the hospital. It is in Dialysis, Surgery Centers or any short term or long term care facilities. Public areas are also affected.