C. Diff.

[love620]

what is the policy at the hospital you work regarding contact precautions for c. diff. patients? i cared for a patient that was diagnosed with this by his primary care provider, then he was admitted to the icu the family told the staff there but he was never put on precautions, although they did prescribe the vancomycin he was on to treat it. anyways he eventually was transferred to my floor and once again no precautions, so when i found out we put him on contact precautions although he had been treated with vancomycin for a substantial amount of time and was asymptomatic. the policy at the hospital was unclear as to whether contact precautions were still necessary once moved to a clean room. what are your thoughts on this do they need to be in precautions once asymptomatic? do they need to be in precautions from now on at every hospital admit?

thanks

[86toronado, BSN, RN]

Every hospital I've ever worked at has put the patient on contact precautions if we even suspect C-diff. It's one of the few microorganisms that isn't killed by anti-bacterial hand rubs, so it's very important to clearly communicate to staff that soap and water handwashing is required for these patients!

[TabKC]

The hospital i work at puts a patient on contact precautions and isolation for C-diff. Even if the patient is Asymptomatic they are still on isolation until discharge.

[ChuckE]

We just had our first clinical day and this is what we were told during orientation - C. Diff=WASH YOUR HANDS!!!

Every hospital I've ever worked at has put the patient on contact precautions if we even suspect C-diff. It's one of the few microorganisms that isn't killed by anti-bacterial hand rubs, so it's very important to clearly communicate to staff that soap and water handwashing is required for these patients!

[SweetOldWorld, BSN, RN]

what is the policy at the hospital you work regarding contact precautions for c. diff. patients? i cared for a patient that was diagnosed with this by his primary care provider, then he was admitted to the icu the family told the staff there but he was never put on precautions, although they did prescribe the vancomycin he was on to treat it. anyways he eventually was transferred to my floor and once again no precautions, so when i found out we put him on contact precautions although he had been treated with vancomycin for a substantial amount of time and was asymptomatic. the policy at the hospital was unclear as to whether contact precautions were still necessary once moved to a clean room. what are your thoughts on this do they need to be in precautions once asymptomatic? do they need to be in precautions from now on at every hospital admit?

thanks

at my hospital, if the patient has been 3 days without diarrhea, contact precautions can be removed. no, they do not need to be in precautions from now on.