C. difficile

What is it?
• A Gram positive, spore forming anaerobic bacillus bacteria that can cause diarrhea
• Colonizes up to 3‐5% of adult humans without causing symptoms
• Certain strains can produce toxins—it is the toxins that actually cause symptoms

How is it spread?

• By the fecal‐oral route*
• Direct contact with an infected person or indirectly by contact with their soiled environment

•Eating with hands that are soiled with C.difficile allows it to enter your gut

Where is it found?

• In the gastrointestinal tract or stool of infected persons
• Can live in the environment in spore form for months

Prevention and control:

• Use contact precautions (in addition to routine practices) when caring for someone with new or worsening
diarrheal illness
• Provide a private room with dedicated toileting facilities
• Clean hands well and often with alcohol‐based hand rub or soap and water
• Use gloves and gown when entering patients room in acute care or when providing direct care of residents
in long‐term care (must be discarded before leaving the room)
• Dedicate patient/resident equipment or clean and disinfect equipment after each patient/resident use
• Ensure twice daily cleaning and disinfection of all touched surfaces in the room
• Tell the receiving department and staff involved in transport the infection control precautions in use
• Ensure appropriate terminal cleaning of the room after discharge
• Establish a process for management of antibiotic use, including regular review of antibiotic utilization
• Discontinue precautions only at the direction of the
infection control team