c-diff, contagious?

[all4schwa]

i did a search, and i still have some questions....the way our instructor explained it was...clostridium difficle is natural in the bowel and overgrows in the presence of anti-biotic therapy, chronic illness, ect. so, is it really contagious? as in, should their roomate be worried if they are not immunocompromised? or is it that it's contagious because it's so messy that it gets everywhere? some clarification would be nice....thanks

[Michellem0322]

I think that I only had two occurences but they were back to back. I was on meds then when I came home and finished I started again. I called my dr. and they started another round. To be honest I have no idea what I was on cause at the time I was not even thinking about becoming a nurse so I had no idea. I did learn though to eat yogart to help restore the bodies normal flora. Hope this helps and good luck. I'm sure everything thing will be fine but I know that having this and trying to take care of a newborn is not an easy task.

[aagc111]

Thanks for your quick response. Again your experience sounds encouraging. My relapses have been back to back within 4-5 days of finishing the meds. I hope this current round of antibiotics work. Everything I read is SOOO negative.

[ashleeandnina]

Old thread, but new question.

MIL has c diff and a company that came to clean it form the carpet and chair said they can not clean it. The c diff may have soaked through the carpet to the floor, floor needs to be treated and or painted before new carpet and pad are layed. They have to treat it as Bio Hazard. Everything must be removed from the home, carpet, furnature, bed. Anything that can not be washed. The strings in the mini blinds. Everything that can not have a soaking with bleach water. What are your thoughts on tall this. She lost her colon because of the c diff.

Thanks in advance, Katz

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Cleaning advice:

C. Diff Home Cleaning | eHow.com

CDC - C diff Q and As - HAI - Centers for Disease Control and ...

[cstatic]

Saccharomyces boulardii maybe? Its cheap too.

Saccharomyces boulardii Protease Inhibits the Effects of Clostridium difficile Toxins A and B in Human Colonic Mucosa

[Hygiene Queen]

The c diff epidemic is exacerbated by the fact that hospitals are filthy. They have cut housekeeping budgets and staffs. They are all too happy to blame nurses for poor handwashing.

:up::up:

Abso-hot-dang-lutely!!!

We get blamed... and we have rooms with carpet and housekeepers stretched to the limit...

Can we say, "eww!" ?

[healthstar, BSN, RN]

C diff is normal flora in our body, the healthcare workers are not that much at risk( unless they are on antibiotics). The reason hospitals require contact precaution it is not to protect healthcare employees but it is to protect the patience because most patients are receiving antibiotics. This is what I have read and learned from school.

[healthstar, BSN, RN]

:up::up::up:Abso-hot-dang-lutely!!!We get blamed... and we have rooms with carpet and housekeepers stretched to the limit...Can we say, "eww!" ?

Really pt rooms w/ carpet?! Wow! Carpet is calling for collection of stool, urine, drains, emesis, blood, IV fluids, water....etc....no matter how well the housekeeper cleans that carpet it is still going to be dirty, stained etc.