People getting medical care can catch serious infections called health care-associated infections (HAIs). While most types of HAIs are declining, one – caused by the germ C. difficile* – remains at historically high levels. C. difficile causes diarrhea linked to 14,000 American deaths each year. Those most at risk are people, especially older adults, who take antibiotics and also get medical care. When a person takes antibiotics, good germs that protect against infection are destroyed for several months. During this time, patients can get sick from C. difficile picked up from contaminated surfaces or spread from a health care provider's hands. About 25% of C. difficile infections first show symptoms in hospital patients; 75% first show in nursing home patients or in people recently cared for in doctors' offices and clinics. C. difficile infections cost at least $1 billion in extra health care costs annually.
*Clostridium difficile (klah-STRID-ee-um DIFF-i-seel)
C. difficile causes many Americans to become sick or die.
C. difficile germs move with patients from one health care facility to another, infecting other patients.
C. difficile infections can be prevented.
1. Prescribe and use antibiotics carefully. About 50% of all antibiotics given are not needed, unnecessarily raising the risk of C. difficile infections.
2. Test for C. difficile when patients have diarrhea while on antibiotics or within several months of taking them.
3. Isolate patients with C. difficile immediately.
4. Wear gloves and gowns when treating patients with C. difficile, even during short visits. Hand sanitizer does not kill C. difficile, and hand washing may not be sufficient.
5. Clean room surfaces with bleach or another EPA-approved, spore-killing disinfectant after a patient with C. difficile has been treated there.
6. When a patient transfers, notify the new facility if the patient has a C. difficile infection.
Source: CDC, 2012
George, a 68-year-old man, goes to the doctor's office and is diagnosed with pneumonia. He is prescribed antibiotics, drugs that put him at risk for C. difficile infection for several months.
One Month
Later
George breaks his leg and goes to a hospital. A health care worker
spreads C. difficile to him after forgetting to wear
gloves when treating a C. difficile infected patient
in the next room.
Two Days Later
George transfers to a rehabilitation facility for his leg and gets
diarrhea. He is not tested for C. difficile. The
health care worker doesn't wear gloves and infects other
patients.
Three Days Later
George goes back to the hospital for treatment of diarrhea and
tests positive for C. difficile. He is started on
specific antibiotics to treat it. Health care workers wear gloves
and do not spread C. difficile. George recovers.