c. diff toolkit

158
Clostridium difficile Change Package

Upload: rosemary-hicks

Post on 21-Mar-2016

324 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

DESCRIPTION

 

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: C. diff toolkit

Clostridium difficileChange Package

Page 2: C. diff toolkit

Disclaimer ............................................................................................................................ 4

IntroductionClostridium difficile Overview (what is C diff) ....................................................... 5CDC’s FAQ about C. diff ........................................................................................ 6FAQs about the Virginia Make a Difference C diff Collaborative ........................... 8

Surveillance of Clostridium difficile Definition 1. Acute Care

Webinar reporting in NHSN .................................................................................. 12NHSN C. difficile Reporting .................................................................................... 13Using NHSN for CDI LabID Reporting to CMS ........................................................ 42C. diff Surveillance and Prevention Resources ...................................................... 48C.difficile Surveillance algorithm for rapid identification and isolation ................ 45

1. Nursing HomesWebinars ............................................................................................................... 46Handouts ............................................................................................................... 46C.difficile Infection Surveillance log ...................................................................... 47C. diff Surveillance and Prevention Resources ...................................................... 48C.difficile Surveillance algorithm for rapid identification and isolation ................ 45

Hand hygieneRational for Hand Hygiene – C. diff ....................................................................... 50Hand hygiene for healthcare care workers ........................................................... 51

SignsContact Plus Precaution Sign ................................................................................. 61Contact precautions specific to Clostridium difficile sign ...................................... 63Help Prevent the Spread of Infection .................................................................... 64

Environmental cleaning of Clostridium difficile C. diff Surveillance and Prevention Resources (not just a maid service) ............... 66Cleaning Pocket Card ............................................................................................. 67Environmental Cleaning ........................................................................................ 69

Table of Contents

Page 3: C. diff toolkit

Antibiotic stewardship VHQC VDH Webinar .............................................................................................. 94Antibiotic Stewardship Resources ......................................................................... 95

Education on Clostridium difficile Presentation- Kerkering webinar Q&A- for physicians and APN(advanced practice nurses/ PA’s) ........................................................................... 96C. diff staff educations guide with post test ......................................................... 130Environmental Cleaning ........................................................................................ 69Hand hygiene for healthcare care workers ........................................................... 51Patient/ Resident/ Family Education booklet trifold ............................................. 154Patient/Resident/Family Education Flyer .............................................................. 156

ResourcesC. diff Surveillance and Prevention Resources ...................................................... 48Antibiotic Stewardship Resources ......................................................................... 95

Page 4: C. diff toolkit

4

Disclaimer The documents in this change package were developed by the contributors to the Virginia Make a Difference C. diff collaborative in fall 2012 and spring 2013.

The aim of this toolkit is to assist facilities in reducing C. difficile by implementing best practices, providing education and tools aimed at increasing communication across the healthcare spectrum. The work was guided by the best available evidence at the time this toolkit was created. The toolkit responds to the challenges facilities face as they translate guidelines into practice. Additionally, this toolkit relays the objectives of Virginia Make a Difference C. diff collaborative that are directed at providing access to additional resources for healthcare facilities, creating a repository of information and constructing a toolkit of strategies that will assist facilities with educating patients, staff and families about C. diff prevention.

Contributors to this toolkit include:

Augusta HealthWilliam Cohee, Pharm D Clint Merritt, MD Carolyn Palmer, RN

Augusta Nursing and Rehabilitation CenterKaren Riley, MSN, RN-BC, LNHA

Carilion New River Valley Medical CenterBetsy Allbee, RN, BSN, CIC

Centra HealthKathy Bailey, RN, CIC

VHQCSandra Gaskins, RHITAmy Lenz, BSJennifer Reece, RN, MSN, CICDeborah Smith, RN, BSN, CIC

Virginia Department of HealthAndrea Alvarez, MPHCarol Jamerson, RN, BSN, CIC

Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Carilion ClinicThomas Kerkering, MD, FACP, FIDSA

Back to Table of Contents ^

Page 5: C. diff toolkit

5

Clostridium difficile OverviewWhat is it?

Clostridium difficile [pronounced Klo-STRID-ee-um dif-uh-SEEL], also known as “C. diff” or “C. difficile”, is a bacteria that can affect the digestive system and is able to produce spores. Most cases of C. diff infection (or CDI) occur in patients that are currently taking or have recently taken antibiotics. Individuals at a higher risk for infection include the elderly, those with weakened immune systems or severe underlying illness, and patients who have spent long periods of time in health-care facilities.

What are the Symptoms?

Many people carry C. diff germs in their bodies without any symptoms. This is called being “colonized”. A person may be colonized for a long time before getting sick or may never get sick. The most common symptoms of a C. diff infection include watery diarrhea, fever, loss of appetite, nausea, and stomach pain and tenderness. More serious infections can also develop in the intestine.

How is it spread?

C. diff is shed in feces (stool). Any surface, device, or material (e.g., toilets, bathtubs, thermometers) that becomes con-taminated with feces may serve as a reservoir for the C. diff spores. C. diff spores are transferred to patients mainly via the hands of healthcare personnel who have touched a contaminated surface or item. C. diff can live for long periods on surfaces.

How is it treated?

A mild C. diff infection can usually be controlled by stopping the antibiotic(s) the patient is taking. Other infections may be treated with a more powerful and appropriately targeted antibiotic. Sometimes, symptoms may return after treat-ment. This is called a relapse, and occurs in about 1 in 4 patients with C. diff. Some patients have multiple relapses. In some severe cases (approximately 1-2 out of every 100), a person might have to have surgery to remove the infected part of the intestine. Cases of C. diff – especially when they occur in people who were already very ill – can be fatal.

How is it prevented?

• C. diff can spread very easily and live on surfaces for a long time. Despite this, there are some things healthcare pro-viders can do to prevent transmission:

• Practice good hand hygiene. Follow your facility’s hand hygiene policy to clean hands with soap and water or in some instances, an alcohol-based hand rub, before and after caring for every patient. (Note that alcohol-based hand rubs are not as effective against spore-forming bacteria such as C. diff and their use is not recommended during outbreaks or if the facility is having a problem with ongoing transmission).

• Use antibiotics judiciously – prescribe antibiotics with the appropriate spectrum, duration, and dose.

• Carefully clean and disinfect rooms of patients with C. diff with your healthcare facility’s EPA-approved sporicidal or with a product containing bleach.

• Use Contact Precautions when caring for patients with C. diff to prevent the bacteria from spreading to others. This means:

§Healthcare providers (and visitors) clean their hands and put on gloves and wear a gown over their clothing when taking care of or visiting a person with C. diff.

§When leaving the room, healthcare workers and visitors remove their gown and gloves and clean their hands. §Whenever possible:

o Assign patients with C. diff to a private room with a private bathroom.o Dedicate medical equipment to a single patient with C. diff. If reusable equipment must be used, clean

and disinfect between patients.

Page 6: C. diff toolkit

6

What is Clostridium difficile infection?Clostridium difficile [pronounced Klo-STRID-ee-um dif-uh-SEEL], also known as “C. diff” [See-dif], is a germ that can cause diarrhea. Most cases of C. diff infection occur in patients taking antibiotics. The most common symptoms of a C. diff infection include:

Watery diarrheaFeverLoss of appetiteNauseaBelly pain and tenderness

Who is most likely to get C. diff infection?The elderly and people with certain medical problems have the greatest chance of getting C. diff. C. diff spores can live outside the human body for a very long time and may be found on things in the environment such as bed linens, bed rails, bathroom fixtures, and medical equipment. C. diff infection can spread from person-toperson on contaminated equipment and on the hands of doctors, nurses, other healthcare providers and visitors.

Can C. diff infection be treated?Yes, there are antibiotics that can be used to treat C. diff. In some severe cases, a person might have to have surgery to remove the infected part of the intestines. This surgery is needed in only 1 or 2 out of every 100 persons with C. diff.

What are some of the things that hospitals are doing to prevent C. diff infections?To prevent C. diff. infections, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers:

• Clean their hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub before and after caring for every patient. This can prevent C. diff and other germs from being passed from one patient to another on their hands.

• Carefully clean hospital rooms and medical equipment that have been used for patients with C. diff.• Use Contact Precautions to prevent C. diff from spreading to other patients. Contact Precautions mean:

o Whenever possible, patients with C. diff will have a single room or share a room only with someone else who also has C. diff. o Healthcare providers will put on gloves and wear a gown over their clothing while taking care of patients with C. diff. o Visitors may also be asked to wear a gown and gloves. o When leaving the room, hospital providers and visitors remove their gown and gloves and clean their hands. o Patients on Contact Precautions are asked to stay in their hospital rooms as much as possible. They should not go to common areas, such as the gift shop or cafeteria. They can go to other areas of the hospital for treatments and tests.

• Only give patients antibiotics when it is necessary.

What can I do to help prevent C. diff infections?• Make sure that all doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers clean their hands with soap and water or an

alcohol-based hand rub before and after caring for you.• If you do not see your providers clean their hands, please ask them to do so.• Only take antibiotics as prescribed by your doctor.• Be sure to clean your own hands often, especially after using the bathroom and before eating.

FAQS about Clostridium difficile

Back to Table of Contents ^

Page 7: C. diff toolkit

7

Can my friends and family get C. diff when they visit me?• C. diff infection usually does not occur in persons who are not taking antibiotics. Visitors are not likely to get C. diff.

Still, to make it safer for visitors, they should:• Clean their hands before they enter your room and as they leave your room• Ask the nurse if they need to wear protective gowns and gloves when they visit you.

What do I need to do when I go home from the hospital?Once you are back at home, you can return to your normal routine. Often, the diarrhea will be better or completely gone before you go home. This makes giving C. diff to other people much less likely. There are a few things you should do, however, to lower the chances of developing C. diff infection again or of spreading it to others.

• If you are given a prescription to treat C. diff, take the medicine exactly as prescribed by your doctor and pharma-cist. Do not take half-doses or stop before you run out.

• Wash your hands often, especially after going to the bathroom and before preparing food.• People who live with you should wash their hands often as well.• If you develop more diarrhea after you get home, tell your doctor immediately.• Your doctor may give you additional instructions.

If you have questions, please ask your doctor or nurse.

Page 8: C. diff toolkit

8

FAQS about the Virginia Make a Difference C. diff Collaborative

1. What is the Virginia Make a Difference C. diff collaborative?Providers across the state of Virginia have joined a campaign to concentrate on Clostridium difficile (C. diff) prevention and minimize death, disability, and healthcare-associated costs resulting from C. diff infection by educating healthcare workers, patients, and the public at large, and by implementing standardized surveillance practices and evidence-based prevention strategies.

The Virginia Make a Difference C. diff collaborative is being led by VHQC and the Virginia Department of Health to pro-mote best practices such as prescribing antibiotics responsibly, implementing evidence-based infection prevention meth-ods, and extending C. diff prevention programs across the healthcare spectrum, from acute care to long-term care. The Virginia C. diff collaborative will emphasize enhanced communication between healthcare entities, healthcare providers, and patients and their families.

2. What is the goal of the collaborative?The ultimate goal is to reduce Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in Virginia. The aim of the collaborative is to reduce C. diff rates by 15% by utilizing evidence-based methodologies including rapid identification and isolation of C. diff infec-tions, enhanced hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, and antibiotic stewardship.

3. Is participation in the collaborative mandatory? Participation in the Virginia Make a Difference C. diff collaborative is voluntary. A coordinated, statewide effort is the most effective and successful approach to having a positive impact on infection prevention strategies. This approach is more effective and cohesive than creating or remodeling similar improvement projects.

4. What benefits could a facility gain from joining The Virginia Make a Difference C. diff collaborative?Participants will have the opportunity to share and spread lessons learned from their colleagues and peers across the state as evidence-based C. diff prevention practices are presented through webinars and conference calls. Additionally, free resources, tools and consultation will be available for Infection Prevention and Quality Improvement professionals. Evidence-based best practices to promote and strengthen communication between facilities will include:

• Providing education to patients/residents/family members and/or healthcare providers about topics such as:

o Hand hygiene

o C. diff spread and survival in the healthcare environment and on surfaces

o Patient and/or healthcare worker transmission and/or acquisition of C. diff from contact with contaminated surfaces

o Transmission via the fecal-oral route

o Daily and terminal cleaning of the patient/resident environment

• Evidence-based prevention methodologies will include:

o Incorporating bundle practices, including early detection through appropriate surveillance case-finding methods and microbiologic identification

o Implementing contact precautions, and appropriate patient/resident placement

o Establishing and monitoring adherence to environmental cleaning and disinfection strategies

o Monitoring adherence to hand hygiene

Back to Table of Contents ^

Page 9: C. diff toolkit

9

o Implementing antibiotic stewardship strategies

o Developing and disseminating tools: surveillance documents, checklists, staff and patient education materials, etc. to support actions.

o Utilizing teams to lead prevention and treatment efforts.

o Conducting surveillance to quantify the burden of C. diff infections in participating facilities and measur-ing improvement over the duration of the project.

5. Why is Virginia focusing on C. diff?According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), from 2000 to 2009, the number of hospitalized patients with any C. diff discharge diagnosis more than doubled, from approximately 139,000 to 336,600. The number of patients with a primary C. diff diagnosis more than tripled, increasing from 33,000 to 111,000. Nationally, an estimated 14,000 deaths are linked to C. diff each year, with at least $1 billion in C. diff related healthcare costs.

The national trends extend to the state level. From 2000 to 2009, the annual rate of hospitalization for C. diff has more than tripled from nine to 29 per 100,000 Virginians. In 2009, the average Virginia hospital costs for patients with C. diff was $23,190, compared to $8,860 for patients without C. diff.

6. What are the benefit of hospitals and nursing homes working together in the Virginia Make a Difference C. diff collaborative? Across the state, hospitals and nursing homes share clients. The collaborative will assist facilities to standardize C. diff surveillance methods using a common definition, promote best practices such as prescribing antibiotics respon-sibly, implement evidence-based infection prevention methods, and emphasize enhanced communication between healthcare entities, healthcare providers, patients, and families.

7. What definition of C. diff will the collaborative facilities be using?Collaborative facilities will be using National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) definitions for C. difficile and conducting surveillance facilitywide.

Acute care facilities will be using the LabID definition, which is:

• A positive laboratory test result for C. difficile toxin A and/or B, (includes molecular assays [PCR] and/or toxin assays)

or

• A toxin-producing C. difficile organism detected by culture or other laboratory means performed on a stool sample.

All non-duplicate C. difficile toxin-positive laboratory results are considered a LabID event. LabID events can include spec-imens collected in the Emergency Department of the admitting facility or other affiliated outpatient location, if collected the same calendar day as patient admission.

Duplicate C. difficile-positive test: Any C. difficile toxin-positive laboratory result from the same patient and location, following a previous C. difficile toxin-positive laboratory result within the past two weeks (14 days) (even across calendar months). There should be a full 14 days with no C. difficile toxin-positive laboratory result for the patient and location, before another C. difficile LabID event is entered into NHSN for the patient and location. The date of specimen collection is considered Day 1.

Page 10: C. diff toolkit

10

Long-term care facilities will be using a similar definition that requires a clinical and laboratory component:

• Clinical component

o 3 or more liquid or watery stools above what is normal for the resident within 24 hours

or

o Presence of toxic megacolon (abnormal dilatation of the large bowel, documented radiologically)

AND

• Laboratory component

o Stool sample positive for C. diff (either by an assay for Toxins A and/or B, by culture, or by other means)

and/or

o Evidence of pseudomembranous colitis detected during endoscopic examination or surgery or on histo-pathologic examination of a biopsy specimen

When determining C. diff rates, the numerator will be defined as the number of non-duplicate C. difficile LabID events for the facility during the specified month that meet the CDC/NHSN definition. The denominator will be patient days (acute care) or resident days (long-term care) for the facility for that month (excluding any neonatal intensive care units, special-ty care nursing units, or well-baby locations).

8. What is required of facilities for full participation in the Virginia Make a Difference C. diff collaborative?Acute Care

• Submit monthly surveillance data to NHSN no later than 45 days after the close of the month.

• Confer rights to VHQC and the National Coordinating Center (NCC). As a user of the VHQC C. diff collaborative group, VDH will also have rights to these data.

o Baseline period: Dec 2012 – Feb 2013

o Project period: Mar 2013 – Aug 2013

o However, retrospective data from July- November 2012 is encouraged

Long-Term Care

• Submit monthly surveillance log to VHQC no later than 45 days after the close of the month.

o Baseline period: Dec 2012 – Feb 2013

o Project period: Mar 2013 – Aug 2013

9. Are my data secured?VHQC, NCC, and VDH maintain the strictest confidentiality and security with your data. All data will be de-identified and aggregated to measure improvement rates only. For example, aggregated C. diff incidence rates may be shared with the participating facilities to track progress toward the collaborative’s goals.

Back to Table of Contents ^

Page 11: C. diff toolkit

11

10. Is there a cost to participate?Direct costs:

• There are no direct joining costs

• Other material costs such as paper, copying, communication materials as needed/ desired

• Salary costs for employees performing C. diff surveillance

Indirect costs:

• Time required to communicate organizational commitment to and participation in the collaborative to employees/ peers

• Time commitment to collaborative and team meetings to include duties such as planning, implementing evidenced based strategies, and evaluating progress

• Participation in statewide webinars and conference calls

11. What is the leadership involvement? As with any successful improvement initiative, it is important to engage leadership to be a part of your improvement team and garner their support. Leadership buy-in assures that your collaborative team will have the supplies, staff, materials, and time to affect change in the facility. They should receive updates on the status of the project and ensure that that administrative or systems issues do not pose barriers to the success of your surveillance and prevention activi-ties. With leadership/executive-level participation, your staff and other members of your collaborative team will see and know that the facility leadership is dedicated to quality and patient safety.

Back to Table of Contents ^

Page 13: C. diff toolkit

13

Kathy Bailey, RN, CICCentra HealthCentra Health

Page 14: C. diff toolkit

14

Obj iObjectives

dDiscuss components and requirements for C. difficile  reporting Describe pros and cons for collecting  C. difficile labID eventsIdentify processes to collect dataDefine methods to utilize dataDefine methods to utilize data

Page 15: C. diff toolkit

15

January 2013 CMS Reporting RequirementJanuary 2013 CMS Reporting Requirement

C. difficile (CDI) LabID eventAcute care hospitalsFacility wide reporting – NHSN has confirmed this expectation to include facility wide i i   i   i  C  diffi il   i i  inpatient reporting  i.e. C. difficile positive findings from all inpatient locations (exceptions: neonatal intensive care units  (exceptions: neonatal intensive care units, well baby nurseries, and well baby clinics)

Page 16: C. diff toolkit

16

Pros and Cons of CDI LabID ReportingPros and Cons of CDI LabID ReportingProsNot as labor intensive as other reporting Not as labor intensive as other reporting requirementsOnly required to report CDI by lab result and patient y q p y plocation

ConsTi   i   i d   b    h / k Time commitment estimated to be 2 hours/week WITH a good lab reporting system and an electronic medical recordLimited value because data is not being generated by NHSN definition (clinical findings) but “by proxy‐solel  on lab data and limited admission data”solely on lab data and limited admission data

Page 17: C. diff toolkit

17

Needs List for C. difficile NHSN Reporting

Daily listing of inpatient C. difficile positive findings 

Means to identify:Means to identify:1) duplicate reporting – defined as same patient AND SAME LOCATION within the previous 14 days  “there should be a full 14 days with no C  difficile toxin positive result ‐ there should be a full 14 days with no C. difficile toxin‐ positive result 

for the patient and location before another C. difficile LabID event is entered”2) location (nursing unit) of patient when testing was 2) location (nursing unit) of patient when testing was performed and date admitted to that unit3) whether or not the patient was in your facility within the l t    th   d d t   f    i   d i i   ithi    last 3 months and date of any prior admission within 3 months4) total inpatient days and number of inpatient admissions/month  (excluding NICU and newborn nurseries) 5) time to get this done! 

Page 18: C. diff toolkit

18

Page 19: C. diff toolkit

19

Other Definitions CDI‐positive laboratory assay: A positive laboratory test result for C. difficile toxin A and/or B, OR OR A toxin‐producing C. difficile organism detected by culture or other laboratory means performed on a stool sample. – only on “unformed (i e  conforming to the shape of the – only on  unformed (i.e. conforming to the shape of the container) stool samples”

Admission dates: Admission dates: When determining a patient’s admission dates to both the facility and specific inpatient location, take into account all such days, including any days spent in an inpatient location as  “ b i ”  i     h  d   ib      an “observation” patient, as these days contribute to exposure 

risk. 

F  f th  i f ti     ti   ti t d   d For further information on counting patient days and admissions, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/PDFs/PatientDay_SumData_Guide.pdf for Summary

Page 20: C. diff toolkit

20

NHSN Categorization of CDI LabID EventsS Catego at o o C ab e ts(Based only on lab findings, dates, and locations)

Community‐Onset (CO): LabID Event collected  ≤ 3 days after admission to the facility (i e  days 1  2  or 3 of admission)  facility (i.e., days 1, 2, or 3 of admission). Community‐Onset Healthcare Facility‐Associated (CO‐HCFA): CO LabID Event ( )collected from a patient who was discharged from the facility ≤ 4 weeks prior to current date of stool specimen collection  date of stool specimen collection. Healthcare Facility‐Onset (HO): LabID Event collected > 3 days after admission to the 3 yfacility (i.e., on or after day 4). 

Page 21: C. diff toolkit

21

Updating  the Monthly Reporting Plan

Page 22: C. diff toolkit

22

You  previously added CLABSI, colon and abd hyst procedures here

Page 23: C. diff toolkit

23

Choose FacilityWideIN CDIF Lab ID event

Page 24: C. diff toolkit

24

Entering Inpatient Locations

Page 25: C. diff toolkit

25

Add All Inpatient Locations

You previously added critical care units here

Page 26: C. diff toolkit

26

NHSN inpatient location listing

Page 27: C. diff toolkit

27

Examples from Centra’s Inpatient Listing 

Page 28: C. diff toolkit

28

Entering a CDI LabID Event 

Page 29: C. diff toolkit

29

Entering a CDI LabID Event

Note required fields (*)q ( )

Page 30: C. diff toolkit

30

P l dPre‐populated

Page 31: C. diff toolkit

31

Denominator DataDenominator Data

Page 32: C. diff toolkit

32

Denominator Data

Remember to exclude your NICU and nursery  patient day and admission data

Page 33: C. diff toolkit

33

AnalysisAnalysis

Page 34: C. diff toolkit

34

Calculated CDI Rates Available via NHSNAdmission Prevalence Rate = Number of non‐duplicate CDI LabID Events per patient per month identified ≤ 3 days after admission to the facility / Number of patient admissions to the facility x 100 

Location Percent Admission Prevalence that is Community‐Onset = Number of Admission Prevalent LabID Events to a location that is CO / Total Number of Admission Prevalent LabID Events to a location that is CO / Total number Admission Prevalent LabID Events x 100 (Note: The numerator in this formula does not include Admission Prevalent LabID Events that are CO‐HFCA.) 

Location Percent Admission Prevalence that is Community‐Onset Healthcare Facility‐Associated = Number of Admission Prevalent LabID Events to a location that are CO‐HCFA / Total number Admission Prevalent LabID Events x 100 

Location Percent Admission Prevalence that is Healthcare Facility‐Onset = Number of Admission Prevalent LabID Events to a location that are HO / Number of Admission Prevalent LabID Events to a location that are HO / Total number of Admission Prevalent LabID Events x 100 

Page 35: C. diff toolkit

35

Calculated CDI Rates Available via NHSNll lOverall Patient Prevalence Rate = 

Number of 1st CDI LabID Events per patient per month regardless of time spent in facility (i.e., CO + CO‐HCFA + HO, if monitoring by overall facility‐wide inpatient=FacWideIN) / Number of patient admissions to the location or inpatient FacWideIN) / Number of patient admissions to the location or facility x 100 

Location CDI Incidence Rate = N b   f I id t CDI L bID E t     th id tifi d     d   ft  Number of Incident CDI LabID Events per month identified > 3 days after admission to the location / Number of patient days for the location x 10,000 

Facility CDI Healthcare Facility‐Onset Incidence Rate = y yNumber of all Incident HO CDI LabID Events per month in the facility/ Number of patient days for the facility x 10,000 (this calculation is only accurate for Overall Facility‐wide Inpatient reporting) 

Facility CDI Combined Incidence Rate = Number of all Incident HO and CO‐HCFA CDI LabID Events per month in the facility / Number of patient days for the facility x 10,000 (this calculation is only accurate for Overall Facility‐wide Inpatient reporting) 

**Line listing option also available**

Page 36: C. diff toolkit

36

**

Page 37: C. diff toolkit

37

Page 38: C. diff toolkit

38

Page 39: C. diff toolkit

39

Page 40: C. diff toolkit

40

Li  Li ti  E lLine Listing Example

Page 41: C. diff toolkit

41

Page 42: C. diff toolkit

42

Using NHSN for Clostridium difficile Infection (CDI) Laboratory-Identified (LabID) Event Reporting

via NHSN for Compliance with CMS Reporting Requirements Nov 2012

Purpose: To calculate proxy measures of C. difficile infections (CDI), exposure burdens, and healthcare acquisitions through monitoring and reporting data from positive clinical cultures (unformed stool only).

Table 1. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) 2013 C. difficile LabID Event Reporting Requirement:

Organism: Clostridium difficile (C.diff)

Data collection/reporting mechanism:

CDC NHSN (National Healthcare Safety Network) – MDRO/CDI Module (LabID Event)

Required locations: All inpatient locations at Facility-wide Inpatient level (FacWideIN), minus neonatal intensive care (NICU), and Well Baby locations [e.g., Well Baby Nurseries, Well Baby Clinics, babies in Labor/Delivery/Recovery/Postpartum (LDRP)]

Required data: All C. difficile LabID Events on unformed stool specimens at the facility-wide inpatient level

Start date: January 2013

What Data Will Be Reported to CMS: CDI; all non-duplicate, non-recurrent LabID Event specimens collected >3 days after admission to the facility.

Creating a Monthly Reporting Plan: CDI Events must be included in Monthly Reporting Plan each month for data to be reported on behalf of the facility to CMS.

CMS requirement is facility-wide inpatient reporting.

Facility-wide Inpatient (FacWideIN): Includes all inpatient locations, including observation patients housed in an inpatient location.

Assess Whether You Need to Add Locations for NHSN Reporting:If you have only been reporting ICU-related CLABSI and CAUTI (as currently required), you will need to map your entire facility and add other locations into NHSN in order to report facility-wide inpatient C. difficile appropriately.

Add all inpatient locations before reporting begins in 2013.

Each LabID Event (numerator) is reported according to the patient’s location when the stool specimen is collect-ed. This means that any inpatient unit (except for the locations referenced in Table 1) could potentially house a patient who has a C. difficile LabID Event.

To Add a Location: NHSN Patient Safety Component Home Page

Facility

Locations

· Add the locations (includes the Unit “code”(e.g., “SCU” for Surgical Care Unit), the unit “label” (or name), the “CDC location description” (e.g., inpatient medical ward), the “Status” (active), and the “Bed Size” (# beds on the unit) .Click “Add” after each location is added.

Page 43: C. diff toolkit

43

Reporting Requirements and Options: Active participants must choose main reporting method:

o Infection Surveillance (optional)

o LabID Event Reporting (required by CMS January 2013)

Important Dates: Data must be submitted monthly (within 30 days of the end of the month which is collected).

For data to be shared with CMS, each quarter’s data must be entered into NHSN no later than 4 ½ months after the end of the quarter.

Table 2. NHSN Data Due Dates for CMS

Quarter Data Months Due to NHSN*1 Jan – Mar August 152 Apr – Jun November 153 Jul – Sept February 154 Oct – Dec May 15

* NHSN data will be frozen at 00.00 on the 16th

Definitions:

CDI Positive Laboratory Assay:· A positive laboratory test result for C. difficile toxin A and/or B, or

· A toxin-producing C. difficile organism detected by culture or other laboratory means performed on a stool sample [remember, C. difficile testing should be only done on unformed stool samples (should conform to shape of contain-er)]

Duplicate C. difficile Positive Test: Any C. difficile toxin-positive laboratory result from the same patient and same location, following a previous C. difficile toxin-positive laboratory result with the past 14 days.

Non-duplicate LabID Event: A toxin-positive C. difficile stool specimen for a patient in a location with no prior C. difficile specimen result reported within 14 days for the patient and location.

LabID Event:A laboratory-identified event. A toxin-positive/ toxin-producing C. difficile stool specimen for a patient in a location with no prior C. difficile specimen reported within 14 days for the patient and location and having a full 14-day interval with no toxin-positive C. difficile stool specimen identified by the lab since the prior reported C. difficile LabID Event. Also referred to as non-duplicate C. difficile toxin-positive laboratory result.

Lab ID Events never include results from Active Surveillance Testing.

CDI Infection Surveillance Definition: C. difficile is identified as the associated pathogen for LabID Event or HAI reporting (Gastrointestinal System Infection (GI)-Gastroenteritis (GE) or Gastrointestinal Tract (GIT).

Page 44: C. diff toolkit

44

Will the LabID Events Be Categorized as Community-Onset or Healthcare Facility Onset?

NHSN will categorize CDI LabID Events based on Inpatient Admissions and specimen collection dates

o Healthcare-facility onset (HO):

LabID Event specimen collected > 3days after admission to the facility (i.e., on or after day 4)

o Community-Onset (CO):

LabID Event specimen collected as an inpatient < 3 days after admission to the facility (i.e., days 1 (admission), 2, or 3)

o Community-Onset Healthcare Facility-Associated (CO-HCFA):

CO LabID Event collected from a patient who was discharged from the facility < 4 weeks prior to the date current stool specimen was collected.

NHSN will further categorize CDI LabID Events based on specimen collection date and prior specimen collection date of a previous CDI LabID Event (that was entered into NHSN):

o Incident CDI Assay:

Any CDI LabID Event from a specimen obtained > 8 weeks after the most recent CDI LabID Event (or with no previous CDI LabID Event documented) for that patient.

o Recurrent CDI Assay:

Any CDI LabID Event from a specimen obtained > 2 weeks and < 8 weeks after the most recent CDI LabID Event for that patient.

This material was prepared by VHQC, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Virginia, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy. VHQC/IIPC/1/14/2013/1528

Page 45: C. diff toolkit

45

Clostridium difficile (C. diff) Isolation Algorithm  

This material was prepared by VHQC, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Virginia, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy. VHQC/IIPC/5/9/2012/1315

YES   NO  

Consider  other  infectious  or  non-­‐infectious  diarrheal  diseases    

 Maintain  Standard  Precautions  

 

• Continue  to  monitor  stools  • Practice  good  hand  hygiene,  

per  policy  • Manage  and  clean  patient  

care  equipment  and  environment  per  policy  

Positive  C.  diff  test   Negative  C.  diff  test    

       • Gloves  and  gowns  upon  room  

entry  • Practice  enhanced  hand  hygiene  

per    facility’s  C.  diff  policy  • Send  1  liquid  (unformed)  stool  

specimen  for  C.  diff  testing  • Clean  patient  care  equipment    

and  environment  with  bleach  solution  or  sporidicial  agent  per  policy  

Suspicion  of  C.  diff  based  on  the  following  symptoms:  • 3  or  more*  loose,  watery  stools  within  24  hours,  

not  related  to  a  laxative  bowel  prep    *Above  resident’s  baseline,  if  long-­‐term  care  

• No  stool  in  the  presence  of    an  ileus  • Elevated  WBC    •  +/-­‐  exposure  to  antibiotics  

Continue  Transmission-­‐Based  Precautions    

• Notify  infection  preventionist  and  physician  • Provide  education  to  patient  and  any  visitors  

DO  NOT  RETEST  and  DO  NOT  send  additional  stool  specimens  for  testing    • When  diarrhea  stops  (stools  are  formed  x  3),  consider  continuing  

transmission-­‐based  precautions  for  an  additional  48  hours,  especially  in  an  outbreak  situation  or  when  ongoing  transmission  is  suspected  

Implement  Transmission-­‐Based  Precautions  

Clostridium  difficile  (C.  diff)  Isolation  Algorithm  

Page 46: C. diff toolkit

46

Nursing Home Webinars & Transcriptsto view an up to date list of all of the webinars and transcripts posted on our website visit:

www.vhqc.org/qio/resources and look under C.Diff Collaborative

Biofilm and Recommended Cleaning (June 2013)click here to view this webinar

click here to view this transcript

Transmission-based Precautions and Hand Hygiene (May 2013)click here to view this webinar

click here to view this transcript

Environmental Cleaning (March 2013)click here to view this webinar

click here to view this transcript

Antimicrobial Stewardship: Practical Strategies for the Healthcare Team (February 2013)click here to view this webinar

click here to view this transcript

Surveillance and Reporting (January 2013)click here to view this webinar

click here to view this transcript

Back to Table of Contents ^

Page 47: C. diff toolkit

47

C.difficile Infection Surveillance log

Facility  CDI  rate  per  10,000  patient/resident  days

#DIV/0!

Resident  Identifier  (e.g.,  MRN)

Admission  Date(MM/DD/YY)

Date  of  Positive  C.  diff  Test

(MM/DD/YY)

Test  Type*  (1,2,3,4)

Previous  Positive  C.  diff  Test  (Y/N)

If  Y,  Date  of  Most  Recent  Previous  

PositiveLabID  Event**  (Y/N)

*  Test  Type:  1  =  Stool  culture  /  2  =  PCR  assay  /  3  =  Antigen  test  /  4  =  Enzyme  immunoassay  (EIA)**  LabID  Event  =  If  no  previous  positive  C.  diff  test  or  prior  positive  >  14  days  from  current  positive,  LabID  =  Y

Place  Total  #  of  C.  diff  LabID  Events  in  beige  box

Place  Total  #  of  Resident  Days  in  green  box

C.  difficile  Surveillance  Log    

Facility  __________________________________                                          Month/year  ____________________    

This material was prepared by VHQC, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Virginia, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy. VHQC/IIPC/11/26/2012/1490

Page 48: C. diff toolkit

48

C. difficile Surveillance and Prevention ResourcesVHQC/VDH C. difficile Infection Prevention Collaborative

Guidelines and Recommendations:• American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement. Clostridium difficile Infection in Adults and Children. Pediatrics.

2013;131(1):196-200. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/131/1/196.full

• APIC Implementation Guide: Guide to Preventing C. difficile Infections. February 2013. http://apic.org/Resource_/EliminationGuideForm/59397fc6-3f90-43d1-9325-e8be75d86888/File/2013CDiffFinal.pdf

• Clinical Practice Guidelines for Clostridium difficile Infection in Adults: 2010 Update by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). http://www.cdc.gov/HAI/pdfs/cdiff/Cohen-IDSA-SHEA-CDI-guidelines-2010.pdf

• Dubberke ER, Gerding DN. Rationale for Hand Hygiene Recommendations after Caring for a Patient with Clostridium difficile Infection, Fall 2011. http://www.shea-online.org/Portals/0/CDI%20hand%20hygiene%20Update.pdf

• Rutala WA, Weber DJ, et al., and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC). Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities, 2008. http://www.cdc.gov/hicpac/pdf/guidelines/Disinfection_Nov_2008.pdf

• SHEA/IDSA Compendium of Strategies to Prevent Clostridium difficile Infections in Acute Care Hospitals, 2008. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/591065

• Siegel JD, Rhinehart E, Jackson M, Chiarello L, et al. The Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC). 2007 Guideline for Isolations Precautions: Preventing Transmission of Infectious Agents in Healthcare Settings. http://www.cdc.gov/hicpac/2007IP/2007isolationPrecautions.html

CDC:• C. difficile website

• Home page: http://www.cdc.gov/HAI/organisms/cdiff/Cdiff_infect.html

• Facility prevention tools: http://www.cdc.gov/hai/organisms/cdiff/Cdiff_settings.html

• CDC Vital Signs: Making Health Care Safer: Stopping C. difficile Infections. March 2012. http://www.cdc.gov/VitalSigns/Hai/StoppingCdifficile/

• National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Multidrug-resistant Organism and Clostridium difficile Infection (MDRO/CDI) Module http://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/acute-care-hospital/cdiff-mrsa/index.html

VHQC and Virginia Department of Health:• VDH C. difficile website

http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/epidemiology/surveillance/hai/cdiff.htm

• VHQC C. difficile collaborative resources http://www.vhqc.org/qio/resources

Page 49: C. diff toolkit

49

Other Resources:• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Evaluation and Research on Antimicrobial Stewardship’s

Effect on Clostridium difficile (ERASE C. difficile) Project: Tookit for Reduction of Clostridium difficile Through Antimicrobial Stewardship. September 2012. http://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/quality-patient-safety/patient-safety-resources/cdifftoolkit/cdifftoolkit.pdf

• Illinois Department of Public Health Environmental Cleaning Resource: “Not Just A Maid Service”• www.notjustamaidservice.com/

• www.youtube.com/notjustamaidservice

• SHEA Patient Education Guide (C. diff) http://www.shea-online.org/Assets/files/patient%20guides/NNL_C-Diff.pdf

• SHEA Position Paper: Clostridium difficile in Long-Term–Care Facilities for the Elderly, 2002 http://www.shea-online.org/Assets/files/position_papers/SHEA_Cdiff.pdf

• Virginia Health Information (VHI): “Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) Dodging a One-Two Punch” (educational flyer) http://www.vhi.org/guides_cdiff.asp

Other States:

Arizona: C. difficile collaborative toolkithttp://azdhs.gov/phs/oids/hai/documents/HAIcommittee/cdiff-prevention-toolkit.pdf

Florida: C. difficile collaborative toolkithttp://www.doh.state.fl.us/disease_ctrl/epi/HAI/CDI.html

Illinois: C. difficile collaborative information http://www.idph.state.il.us/patientsafety/ice_home.htm

New York: C. difficile collaborative toolkit http://www.gnyha.org/7925/Default.aspx

Note: For more information on antibiotic stewardship resources, please see the “Antibiotic Stewardship Resources: VHQC/VDH C. difficile Infection Prevention Collaborative” document also included in the collaborative change package

Page 50: C. diff toolkit

50

Rationale for Hand Hygiene Recommendations after Caring for a Patient with Clostridium difficile

Infection

ErikR.Dubberke,MD,MSPH;DaleN.Gerding,MDQuestionsfrequentlyariseinregardstotherecommendedmethodofhandhygieneaftercaringforpatientswithClostridium difficile infection(CDI).TheCDIcomponentoftheSHEA/IDSACompendiumofPracticeRecommendationstoPreventHealthcare-AssociatedInfectionsandtheSHEA/IDSAClinicalPracticeGuidelinesforCDIrecommendpreferentialuseofsoapandwaterforhandhygieneoveralcohol-basedhandhygieneproductsonlyinoutbreaksettings(BIII)(1;2).SomehavefoundtherecommendationtopreferentiallyperformhandhygienewithsoapandwateraftercaringforapatientwithCDIonlyduringoutbreaks,andnotinnon-outbreaksettings,confusing.AlcoholdoesnotkillC. difficile spores(1).Inaddition,severalstudieshavefoundhandwashingwithsoapandwater,orwithanantimicrobialsoapandwater,tobemoreeffectiveatremovingC. difficilesporesthanalcohol-basedhandhygieneproductsfromthehandsofvolunteersinoculatedwithaknownnumberofC. difficile spores(3;4).TheprimaryreasonhandhygienewithsoapandwaterisnotrecommendedforCDIpreventioninnon-outbreaksettingsistherearenostudiesthathavefoundanincreaseinCDIwiththeuseofalcohol-basedhandhygieneproductsoradecreaseinCDIwiththeuseofsoapandwater(5-11).Conversely,severalofthestudiesdididentifydecreasesinmethicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(6-8;11)orvancomycinresistantenterococcus(7)associatedwiththeuseofalcohol-basedhandhygieneproducts.Thecombinationofthesefindings,lackofchangeinCDIbutdecreasesinothernon-sporeforming,multidrugresistantpathogens,withtheuseofalcohol-basedhandhygieneproductsarethebasisbehindnotrecommendingpreferentialuseofsoapandwaterforCDIpreventioninnon-outbreaksettings.HoweverbecauseofthetheoreticalincreaseinriskofC. difficile transmissionbasedonthevolunteerhandcontaminationstudies,theexpertswhowrotetheCDIcomponentoftheSHEA/IDSACompendiumandtheSHEA/IDSAClinicalPracticeGuidelinesforCDIfeltitwasprudenttorecommendpreferentialuseofsoapandwateraftercaringforapatientwithCDIinoutbreaksettings.

A Compendium of

Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-

Associated Infections in Acute Care

Hospitals

Fall 2011 Update

Back to Table of Contents ^

Page 51: C. diff toolkit

51

C.  difficile  and  Hand  Hygiene  for  Healthcare  Se2ngs  

Page 52: C. diff toolkit

52

Clean  Hands  Save  Lives  Clean  hands  are  the  most  important  factor  in  preven8ng  the  spread  of  disease  and  an8bio8c  resistance  in  se2ngs  across  the  con8nuum  of  

health  care.  

Hand  hygiene:  

§  Promotes  pa8ent/resident  safety  and    prevents  infec8ons  

§  Reduces  the  incidence  of  healthcare-­‐associated  infec8ons  such  as  C.  difficile  infec8on  

Page 53: C. diff toolkit

53

Hand  Hygiene  for  Clostridium  difficile  •  Perform  hand  hygiene  whenever  hands  are  visibly  soiled,  dirty,  or  contaminated  AND  –  before  pu2ng  on  gloves  –  before  contact  with  the  pa8ent/resident  

–  aFer  removing  gloves  –  aFer  contact  with  the  environment  

–  before  leaving  the  pa8ent/resident  area  

–  aFer  using  the  restroom  

Page 54: C. diff toolkit

54

Hand  Hygiene:  Soap  vs.  Alcohol-­‐based  Products  

•  Because  alcohol  does  not  kill  C.  difficile  spores,  use  of  soap  and  water  is  theore8cally  more  effec8ve  than  alcohol-­‐based  hand  rubs.    

•  However,  early  experimental  data  suggest  that,  even  using  soap  and  water,  the  removal  of  C.  difficile  spores  is  more  challenging  than  the  removal  or  inac8va8on  of  other  common  pathogens.  

•  Discouraging  the  use  of  alcohol-­‐based  hand  rubs  may  undermine  overall  hand  hygiene  program  with  unintended  consequences  for  HAIs  in  general  

hMp://www.cdc.gov/HAI/organisms/cdiff/Cdiff_faqs_HCP.html  hMp://www.shea-­‐online.org/Portals/0/CDI%20hand%20hygiene%20Update.pdf  

Page 55: C. diff toolkit

55

 Hand  Hygiene  for  Clostridium  difficile  

(conAnued)    •  In  outbreaks  se2ngs,  do  not  use  alcohol-­‐based  

hand  rubs  when  caring  for  the  C.  diff  pa8ent/resident  –  use  soap  and  water  

•  Washing  away  the  spores  with  soap  and  water  may  be  the  best  way  to  perform  hand  hygiene  when  transmission  of  C.  difficile  is  occurring  

•  Some  facili8es  may  choose  to  use  soap  and  water  as  the  recommended  form  of  hand  hygiene  all  of  the  Ame  when  healthcare  workers  caring  for  confirmed  or  suspected  C.diff  pa8ents/residents  

   

Page 56: C. diff toolkit

56

Monitoring  Hand  Hygiene  Compliance  

Any  possible  benefit  from  ins8tu8ng  a  “soap  and  water  only”  policy  must  be  balanced  against  the  poten8al  for  decreased  compliance  resul8ng  from  a  more  complex  hand  hygiene  message.      Monitoring  compliance  with  appropriate  hand  hygiene  prac8ces  is  important!      

Page 57: C. diff toolkit

57

Monitoring  Hand  Hygiene  Compliance:  Methods  

The  most  commonly  used  method  to  track  rates  of  hand  hygiene  compliance  is  called  direct  observaAon,  (or  the  secret  shopper),  which  involves  someone  watching  and  recording  the  hand  hygiene  behavior  of  health  care  workers  

Page 58: C. diff toolkit

58

Hand  Hygiene/IsolaAon  ObservaAon  Tool  

Page 59: C. diff toolkit

59

In  Conclusion  

•  On  the  surface,  hand  hygiene  may  seem  like  a  basic  prac8ce,  yet  it  remains  an  integral  important  infec8on  preven8on  strategy  in  our  toolbox  and  one  of  the  most  difficult  healthcare  worker  behaviors  to  change.    

•  Remember:  staff,  pa8ent,  and  resident  health  is  dependent  upon  hand  hygiene  compliance.    

Page 60: C. diff toolkit

60

 Check  with  the  nursing  staff  before  entering  this  room   þ  Gloves  and  gown  required.    Remove  gown  and  gloves  before  leaving  this  room.    

Hand  hygiene  required.  Preferred  method  of  hand  hygiene  is  to  wash  your  hands  for  15  seconds  with  soap  and  water.  

Page 61: C. diff toolkit

61

CONTACT PLUS PRECAUTIONS Private Room is Indicated

VISITORS report to the nursing station before entering the patient room.

EVERYONE (INCLUDING VISITORS) ENTERING THIS ROOM MUST:

Perform Hand Hygiene Before and after patient care and/or contact with the environment

Wear Gloves Upon entry into the room if direct contact with patient or environment is anticipated

Wear Gown Upon entry into the room if direct contact with patient or environment is anticipated

Dedicate Patient Care Equipment

Limit the movement/transport of patient Place clean gown/sheet on patient if transport is necessary

Perform hand hygiene with soap and water before leaving room. Clean Room with Bleach Lávese las manos con agua y jabón. La habitación debe ser limpiada con cloro o lejía

Los visitantes deben presentarse primero al puesto de enfermeria al entrar. Lávese las manos con agua y jabón. Póngase guantes al entrar al cuarto.

Page 62: C. diff toolkit

62

CONTACT PLUS PRECAUTIONS

In addition to Standard precautions, use Contact PLUS Precautions for patients known or suspected to have serious illnesses easily transmitted by direct patient contact or by contact with items and surfaces in the patient’s environment. Examples of such illnesses include: • Clostridium difficile (C-Diff) • Diarrhea: acute diarrhea with a likely infectious cause or in an adult with a history of recent antibiotic use • Norovirus / Rotavirus • Enteric Infections including but not limited to:

o Campylobacter o Cryptosporidium o Salmonella o Shigella o Escherichia coli 0157:H7

The above information is not an all inclusive list of illnesses/conditions that require transmission-based precautions.

Please contact Infection Prevention for guidance with additional illnesses/conditions. THIS SIGN TO BE REMOVED BY ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES ONLY.

Page 63: C. diff toolkit

63

 Check  with  the  nursing  staff  before  entering  this  room   þ  Gloves  and  gown  required.    Remove  gown  and  gloves  before  leaving  this  room.    

Hand  hygiene  required.  Preferred  method  of  hand  hygiene  is  to  wash  your  hands  for  15  seconds  with  soap  and  water.  

Page 64: C. diff toolkit

64

HELP PREVENT THE SPREAD OF INFECTION

Questions? Please call your local health department

BEFORE ENTERING THIS ROOM:

Visitors: Please see staff to find out how you can help protect yourself and others.

Special Contact Precautions

Staff: Every time, appropriately wash hands with soap and water, wear gown and gloves,

use disposable single-use or patient/resident-dedicated noncritical care equipment, and

use appropriate disinfectant.

Page 65: C. diff toolkit

65

SPECIAL CONTACT PRECAUTIONS:

*Consult the most up-to-date infection prevention guidance and/or your local health department with questions.

Apply to diseases* likely to have spores (i.e., Clostridium difficile) and some diseases* with

ongoing transmission (i.e., norovirus).

Wash hands with

soap and water

Use adequate amount of friction for at least 15 seconds

***********************************************************************************************************

Before & after patient/resident contact After contact with objects/surfaces near patient/resident After removing gloves

Gown & gloves Upon room entry Discard before leaving room

Noncritical patient/resident care equipment

Always use disposable single-use or patient/resident-dedicated equipment

Hypochlorite solution

(e.g., bleach)

Consider use of 10% hypochlorite solution during continued transmission and/or for all cases

Page 66: C. diff toolkit

66

Environmental cleaning of Clostridium difficile

www.notjustamaidservice.com

Back to Table of Contents ^

Page 67: C. diff toolkit

67

Routine disinfecting of “high touch point” surfaces reduces growth and transmission of viruses and bacteria by eliminating growth reservoirs.

Prior to disinfecting any surface, you must clean to remove any particulate or gross debris.

Identified High Touch Point Surfaces

• Door knobs/handles• Door jams/surfaces• Bed rails/Headboards/Footboards• Bedside table• Bedside commode• Phone/call buttons• Light switches• Furniture/patient chair• Medical equipment• Countertops & other horizontal surfaces

DISINFECTION GUIDE FOR HIGH TOUCH POINT SURFACES

Cleaning Pocket Card

Page 68: C. diff toolkit

68

ROOM CLEANING CHECKLIST

This material was prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Preventi on (CDC). It is provided by VHQC, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organizati on for Virginia, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services. The contents presented do not necessarily re ect CMS policy. VHQC/IIPC/5/11/2012/1321

Perform hand hygieneDon personal protective equipment (PPE)Remove dirty/used itemsClean/disinfect high touch point surfacesDamp dust (do not dust over patient):

• TV stand• Window sills• Lights & vents

Clean/disinfect bathroom:• Door, door jam & door knob• Handrails• Mirror• Sink/faucet• Tub/shower• Toilet seat/ usher

Replace hand sanitizer/soap, paper towels & syringe boxes, as neededReplace trash liner, discard dust cloth, change mop headRemove PPEPerform hand hygiene

Back to Table of Contents ^

Page 69: C. diff toolkit

69

Environmental  Cleaning  

Page 70: C. diff toolkit

70

Background  

       ν      

According  to  the  Centers  for  Disease  Control  and  Preven7on  (CDC),  cleaning  and  disinfec7ng  environmental  surfaces  in  healthcare  facili7es  is  essen.al  to  reducing  the  poten7al  contribu7on  of  those  surfaces  to  the  occurrence  of  healthcare–associated  infec7ons  (HAIs).1  

•  Environmental  surfaces  can  serve  as  reservoirs  for  certain  microorganisms  that  cause  infec7ons.2  

•  Some  pathogens,  such  as    Clostridium  difficile,  can  remain  ac7ve  on  environmental  surfaces  for  extended  periods  of  7me,  poten7ally  leading  to  the  transmission  of  disease  in  the  healthcare  seGng.    

 Every  day,  facili7es  face  mul7ple  challenges  to  effec7vely  and  efficiently  clean  and  disinfect  their  environment  and  medical  devices.        1.  Fuglsang  M.:  Tips  for  Cleaning  and  Disinfec6ng  Environmental  Surfaces.  hMp://www.infec7oncontroltoday.com/ar7cles/4a1enviro.html  

(accessed  January  4,  2013).  2.  Centers  for  Disease  Control  and  Preven7on:  HICPAC  guidelines  for  environmental  infec7on  control  in  health-­‐  care  facili7es,  2003.  MMWR:  

Morb  Mortal  Wkly  Rep  52(RR-­‐10),  Jun.  6,  2003.  hMp://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5210a1.htm  (accessed  Jan.4,  2013).  

Page 71: C. diff toolkit

71

 Effec.ve  environmental  cleaning  and  disinfec.on  strategies  may  include:  

 •  Educa7ng  personnel  on  proper  cleaning  and  disinfec7ng  techniques  frequently  due  to  high  staff  turnover.  

•  Ensuring  that  educa7on  is  provided  in  a  language  and  at  a  reading  level  that  will  be  understood  by  employees  

•  Daily  cleaning  and  disinfec7on  of  high-­‐touch  surfaces  •  Monitoring  for  compliance  with  recommended  prac7ces  and  providing  feedback  to  environmental  services  

•  Op7mizing  cleaning  products  and  technologies  •  Addressing  challenges  and  barriers  as  they  arise  

Page 72: C. diff toolkit

72

Something  to  remember…  Transmission  of  infec7on  may  not  be  a  failure  of  the  cleaning  and  disinfec7ng  agents  but  rather  a  failure  to  completely  follow  the  cleaning  and  disinfec7ng  process.    Approach  cleaning  in  a  orderly,  regularly  scheduled  method.  •  Clockwise  or  counter-­‐clockwise  • Working  from  top  to  boMom  •  Cleanest  to  the  dir7est  

     

Page 73: C. diff toolkit

73

Common  terms  •  Clean  =  remove  all  visible  dust,  soil,  and  any  other  foreign  material  

•  Decontaminate  =  remove  disease-­‐producing  microbes  to  make  safe  for  handling  

•  Disinfect  =  kill  or  destroy  nearly  all  disease-­‐producing  organisms  (except  spores)  using  a  chemical  or  physical  agent  

•  Sterilize  =  destroy  microorganisms  and  spores  

Adapted  from  the  APIC,  2009  Infec7on  Preven7on  Manual  for  Long-­‐Term  Care  Facili7es              

Page 74: C. diff toolkit

74

Cleaning:  the  first  step  •  Cleaning  is  the  physical  removal  of  all  visible  soil  and  other  foreign  material  (such  as  dirt,  dust  bunnies,  and  body  fluids)  so  you  can  get  to  the  microbes  underneath.  You  can’t  kill  microbes  if  you  cannot  get  to  them.  

•  One  can  clean  without  disinfec7ng,  but  one  can  not  disinfect  without  cleaning,  therefore,  one  must  clean  first  to  remove  the  materials.  

•  Cleaning  agents  such  as  detergents  do  not  have  an7microbial  claims.  

•  Clean  spills  of  blood  and  body  fluids  as  soon  as  they  occur.  

 

Page 75: C. diff toolkit

75

Disinfectants  

•  Substances  applied  to  inanimate  objects  to  destroy  microorganisms.  

•  Use  products  registered  with  the  Environmental  Protec7on  Agency  (EPA)  for  use  in  medical  facili7es.  

•  Disinfectant  will  have  claims  that  it  can  kill  certain  types  of  microorganisms  –  make  sure  you  know  what  the  product  can  and  cannot  kill.    

Page 76: C. diff toolkit

76

Read  the  label  •  Cleaners  and  disinfectants  should  be  reviewed  for  use,  dilu7on,  contact  7me,  and  shelf  life  – Contact  .me:  amount  of  7me  needed  for  the  chemical  to  come  in  contact  with  the  microorganism  so  that  a  significant  number  of  organisms  are  killed.    

– Shelf  life:  how  long  the  chemical  can  be  used.  Ager  the  shelf  life  expires,  the  product  is  no  longer  as  effec7ve  at  doing  its  job.  

Remember  that  bleach  solu7ons  should  be  prepared  fresh  daily  

Page 77: C. diff toolkit

77

 Rou.ne  cleaning/disinfec.on  for  standard  

room  (no  noted  C.  diff)    •  Use  EPA-­‐registered  disinfectant  

-­‐    Quaternary  ammonia-­‐based  disinfectants  are  widely  used  in  healthcare  seGngs.      

•  Consider  disinfectant  wipes  for  use  by  healthcare  workers  

 

Page 78: C. diff toolkit

78

 Cleaning  and  disinfec.ng  the  room  of  a  

pa.ent  with  C.  diff      Use  for  C.  diff  outbreak  situa7ons,  and  possibly  

throughout  units  with  high  C.  diff  rates  or  with  ongoing  C.  diff  transmission  •   Clean  first  • Units  with  high  C.  diff  rates  should  consider  using  a  disinfectant  such  as  hypochlorite  bleach  solu7on  (1:10  dilu7on  if  using  5.25%  sodium  hypochlorite)  or  an  EPA-­‐registered  disinfectant  with  a  sporicidal  claim  

Page 79: C. diff toolkit

79

Why  not  always  use  bleach-­‐based  products?  

•  Bleach-­‐based  products  can  cause  corrosion/piGng  of  some  equipment  and  surfaces  over  7me.      

•  May  cause  respiratory  irrita7on.  •  Requires  careful  dilu7on  (e.g.,  solu7on  for  food  surfaces  VERY  different  than  general  environmental  cleaning).  

•  Bleach  is  a  corrosive  chemical  and  must  be  used  with  cau6on.  AHer  a  10  minute  contact  6me,  rinse  with  water.  

 

Page 80: C. diff toolkit

80

Challenges    

•  Administra7ve  •  Technical  •  Physical  •  Educa7onal  

Page 81: C. diff toolkit

81

Staff  turnover:  the  revolving  door  

Page 82: C. diff toolkit

82

Confusion  about  who  cleans  what  and  when  

Page 83: C. diff toolkit

83

Confusion  about  products    

Page 84: C. diff toolkit

84

Cleaning  can  be  difficult    

Page 85: C. diff toolkit

85

Technical  issues  

•  Sufficient  contact  7me  to  kill  pathogens    

•  Pre-­‐cleaning  to  remove  organic  material    

•  Mechanical  removal    

Page 86: C. diff toolkit

86

When  and  how  should  portable  equipment  be  cleaned?    

SHEA/IDSA  Guideline  for  preven7on  of  CDI    •  Use  dedicated  pa7ent  care  items  and  equipment;  if  items  must  be  shared,  clean  and  disinfect  the  equipment  between  pa7ents    

•  Develop  and  implement  protocols  for  disinfec7on  of  equipment  and  the  environment    

Page 87: C. diff toolkit

87

Environmental  transmission  

•  Frequency  of  C.  difficile  acquisi7on  has  been  linked  with  the  level  of  environmental  contamina7on  

•  Pa7ents  admiMed  to  a  room  previously  occupied  by  a  pa7ent  with  C.  difficile  have  a  higher  risk  for  C.  difficile  acquisi7on  

•  Improved  room  disinfec7on  has  led  to    decreased  rates  of  C.  difficile  infec7on  

Page 88: C. diff toolkit

88

Germicidal  wipes  

•  If  wipes  are  used:  –  The  wipe  must  wet  the  surface  being  disinfected    –  Use  the  right  wipes  for  the  right  type  of  job  –  The  user  should:    

•  Know  the  contact  7me  for  the  germicide  used  •  Know  the  ability  of  the  wipe  to  maintain  contact  7me  for  the  task  for  it  will  be  used  

•  Be  involved  in  selec7on  of  the  right  type  of  wipes  –  Staff  must  be  trained  to  use  the  wipes  appropriately  (for  example,  wear  gloves  when  using  cleaning  products)  

Page 89: C. diff toolkit

89

Monitoring  environmental  cleaning  •  Consistency  with  recommended  cleaning  and  disinfec7on  

procedures  should  be  rou7nely  monitored.  –  Include  all  surfaces  and  items  near  the  pa7ent    

•  Staff  performing  cleaning  should  use  checklists    –  Confirm  that  each  cri7cal  area  has  been  cleaned  and  disinfected  –  Each  item  must  be  checked  off  as  it  is  completed  

•  If  there  is  ongoing  transmission:  –  May  indicate  non-­‐compliance  –  Thorough  cleaning  and  disinfec7on  of  the  environment  must  be  done  

–  Increase  frequency  of  monitoring  compliance  with  cleaning  and  disinfec7on  procedures  

Page 90: C. diff toolkit

90

Page 91: C. diff toolkit

91

Environmental  services  staff  •  Engage  environmental  services,  especially  front  line  personnel  – Make  them  a  part  of  the  team!  –  Involve  in  decision-­‐making  process  (such  as  product  selec7on)  when  possible  

•  Instruct  using  basic  infec7on  preven7on  methods  •  Train  with  ac7vi7es  that  relate  directly    – Hands-­‐on  demonstra7ons  – Address  any  language  or  cultural  barriers  – Appropriate  educa7onal  level  

•  Encourage  open  communica7on  and  share  appropriate  feedback  in  a  non-­‐puni7ve  manner  

Page 92: C. diff toolkit

92

Environmental  services  training  

Produced  by  the  Illinois  Department  of  Public  Health  •  www.notjustamaidservice.com/  •  www.youtube.com/notjustamaidservice    

Page 93: C. diff toolkit

93

Conclusion  

Cleaning  well  enough  to  pass  the  white  glove  test  is  not  good  enough  to  ensure  that  an  environment  is  free  from  microbial  

contamina7on.    

Think  before  you  clean!      

Page 95: C. diff toolkit

95

Antibiotic Stewardship ResourcesVHQC/VDH C. difficile Infection Prevention Collaborative

General Resources, Guidelines, and Policy Statements• CDC Get Smart for Healthcare website:

www.cdc.gov/getsmart/healthcare

• CDC Antibiotic Resistance website: www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/index.html

• Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA)

• Guidelines for Developing an Institutional Program to Enhance Antimicrobial Stewardship (2007): www.idsociety.org/uploadedFiles/IDSA/Guidelines-Patient_Care/PDF_Library/Antimicrobial%20Stewardship.pdf

• Policy Statement on Antimicrobial Stewardship by SHEA, IDSA (2012): www.shea-online.org/View/smid/428/ArticleID/141.aspx

Resource Guides, Toolkits, and Change Packages• Greater New York Hospital Association Antimicrobial Stewardship Toolkit:

http://gnyha.org/11513/File.aspxo Evaluation and Research on Antimicrobial Stewardship’s Effect on C. difficile Project Toolkit (companion

to GNYHA toolkit): www.ahrq.gov/qual/cdifftoolkit/cdiffl2qu.htm (Questions to Consider) www.ahrq.gov/qual/cdifftoolkit/cdiffl2tools.htm (Summary of Tools and Resources)

• Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and CDC Antibiotic Stewardship Drivers and Change Package: www.cdc.gov/getsmart/healthcare/learn-from-others/driver-diagram/index.html

• Minnesota Guide to a Comprehensive Antibiotic Stewardship Program: www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/dtopics/antibioticresistance/index.html

Long-Term Care• Antibiotic Use in Nursing Homes fact sheet – from CDC Get Smart Week (2012):

www.cdc.gov/getsmart/healthcare/learn-from-others/factsheets/pdf/getsmart-LTC_nursinghomes_9_17_12.pdf

• Antimicrobial Stewardship in Long-Term Care - Medscape commentary (2012): www.medscape.com/viewarticle/762755_1

• Antibiotic Stewardship Programs in Long-Term Care Facilities – Annals of Long-Term Care: Clinical Care and• Aging 2011;19:20-25.

www.annalsoflongtermcare.com/article/antibiotic-stewardship-programs-long-term-care-facilities

CME/CE Opportunities• Antimicrobial Stewardship: Practical Strategies for the Healthcare Team:

www.medscape.org/viewprogram/32553

o Includes modules on stewardship in environments with limited resources, partnering with the microbiology lab, and more

• Antimicrobial Stewardship for the Community Hospital: Practical Tools and Techniques for Implementation: www.cdc.gov/getsmart/healthcare/learn-from-others/CME/antimicrobial-resistance.html#Stewardship

• Antimicrobial Resistance Across the Continuum of Care: Winning the War One Battle at a Time: www.cdc.gov/getsmart/healthcare/learn-from-others/CME/antimicrobial-resistance.html#Antimicrobial

Back to Table of Contents ^

Page 96: C. diff toolkit

96

Clostridium difficile Infection (CDI)

or

Clostridium difficile Associated Diarrhea (CDAD)

or just plain

C diff

Page 97: C. diff toolkit

97

Disclosure of faculty financial affiliations

Jointly sponsored by the University of Virginia School of Medicine and Virginia Health Quality Center.

Joint sponsorship statement-This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint sponsorship of University of Virginia School of Medicine and Virginia Health Quality Center (VHQC). The University of Virginia School of Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit designation statement The University of Virginia School of Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits.TM Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

The speaker, Molly O’Dell, MD, does not have any financial conflicts or affiliations to disclose.

There is no commercial support for this activity.

Page 98: C. diff toolkit

98

Completing this online activity consists of five steps:

1) Watch the lecture/video

2) Take the post test and get 80% of the questions correct

3) Complete the evaluation form

4) Fill out and print your certificate of hours completed

Release Date: April 2013 Valid for credit through: April 2014

Page 99: C. diff toolkit

99

1. Describe the pathophysiology of Clostridium difficile (CDI)

2. Analyze the burden of Clostridium difficile

3. Describe the changing epidemiology of Clostridium difficile

4. Identify important risk factors for initial CDI and recurrence

5. Discuss treatment of Clostridium difficile

6. Discuss evidence-based prevention strategies

Objectives

Page 100: C. diff toolkit

100

Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infection (CDI) is a troublesome, opportunistic pathogen that

causes significant burden to the patient and the healthcare system.

Why Be Concerned?

Page 101: C. diff toolkit

101

Pseudomembranous colitis

Healthy colon

• Anaerobic spore-forming bacillus

• Fecal-oral transmission through contaminated environment and hands of healthcare personnel

CDI is a bacterial pathogen that causes disease with a wide spectrum of severity, ranging from mild diarrhea to pseudomembranous colitis and death.

C. difficile Pathophysiology

Page 102: C. diff toolkit

102

Pathogenesis of C. diff-associated Diarrhea (CDAD; CDI)

Antibiotic therapy

Disturbed colonic microflora

C. diff exposure and colonization

Toxin A and Toxin B

Diarrhea and colitis

Page 103: C. diff toolkit

103

Pathogenesis cont.

Page 104: C. diff toolkit

104

Although CDI has been a well-described condition since its discovery in 1978, changes in

the epidemiology of this disease have been observed during the past several years.

Changing Epidemiology

Page 105: C. diff toolkit

105

• Severity of CDI appears to be increasing

• Increased morbidity and mortality

• Severe infections in low-risk populations

• Emergence of novel, hypervirulent strain (BI/NAP1/027) now reported across the U.S., Canada and Europe

• Resistance to fluoroquinolones

• Increased toxin production and sporulation may contribute to severe and widespread disease

• Leading cause of healthcare-associated infectious diarrhea in the U.S.

Gould, C. (2008), Changing Epidemiology and Prevention of Clostridium difficile Infection. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from http://emergency.cdc.gov/coca/summaries/pdf/Cdiff-091608_Draft.pdf

CDI Epidemiology

Page 106: C. diff toolkit

106

Clostridium difficile Associated Diarrhea (CDAD)

• Most common nosocomial diarrhea • Associated with antibiotic usage • Conditions with decreased gastric acidity • Infection can range from asymptomatic to death from toxic megacolon

C. difficile spores lie dormant inside the colon until a person takes an antibiotic. The antibiotic disrupts normal gut flora preventing C. difficile from transforming into its active, disease causing bacterial form. As a result, C. difficile transforms into its infectious form and then produces toxins.

Page 107: C. diff toolkit

107

Cases of HFOHFAC difficile at

CRMH October 2010

throughApril 2011 = 50

HFOHFA =Health facility orHealth facility associated

A Matched Case Control Study

Was Undertaken

Page 108: C. diff toolkit

108

Results of McNemar's test for a case-control study Summary: If there were no association between the risk factor and the disease, you'd expect the number of pairs where cases was exposed to the risk factor but control was not to equal the number of pairs where the control was exposed to the risk factor but the case did not. In this study, there were 11 discordant pairs (case and control had different exposure to the risk factor). There were 1 ( 9.091%) pairs where the control was exposed to the risk factor but the case was not, and 10 ( 90.909%) pairs where the case was exposed to the risk factor but the control was not. P Value: The two-tailed P value equals 0.0159 By conventional criteria, this difference is considered to be statistically significant. The P value was calculated with McNemar's test with the continuity correction. Chi squared equals 5.818 with 1 degrees of freedom. Odds ratio: The odds ratio is 10.000, with a 95% confidence interval extending from 1.423 to 433.977

Control

+ - Total

Case + 35 10 45

- 1 4 5

Total 36 14 50

Antibiotics

Cases were 10X more likely To have been exposed to antibiotics and to achieve significance

Page 109: C. diff toolkit

109

Summary: If there were no association between the risk factor and the disease, you'd expect the number of pairs where cases was exposed to the risk factor but control was not to equal the number of pairs where the control was exposed to the risk factor but the case did not. In this study, there were 15 discordant pairs (case and control had different exposure to the risk factor). There were 3 ( 20.000%) pairs where the control was exposed to the risk factor but the case was not, and 12 ( 80.000%) pairs where the case was exposed to the risk factor but the control was not. P Value: The two-tailed P value equals 0.0389 By conventional criteria, this difference is considered to be statistically significant. The P value was calculated with McNemar's test with the continuity correction. Chi squared equals 4.267 with 1 degrees of freedom. Odds ratio: The odds ratio is 4.000, with a 95% confidence interval extending from 1.079 to 22.088

Control

+ - Total

Case + 25 12 37

- 3 10 13

Total 28 22 50

PPIs: McNemar’s method

Cases were 4X more likely To have been exposed to PPIs and to achieve significance

Page 110: C. diff toolkit

110

DDD/Ampicillin / sul DDD/Azithromycin DDD/Cefazolin DDD/Cefepime DDD/Ceftriaxone Correlation Coeficient = r 0.001411759 0.08390086 0.108179845 0.048015957 0.203715347

r2 = 1.99306E-06 0.007039354 0.011702879 0.002305532 0.041499943 Sample Size = 29 Probability two tailed 0.994249 0.665229 0.576729 0.804707 0.289204

Probability one tailed 0.497125 0.332614 0.288364 0.402353 0.144602

DDD/Ciprofloxacin DDD/Clindamycin DDD/Daptomycin DDD/Ertapenem DDD/Erythromycin Correlation Coeficient = r -0.053906704 0.404437748 0.006038782 0.13172045 -0.032511939

r2 = 0.002905933 0.163569892 3.65E-05 0.017350277 0.001057026 Sample Size = 29 Probability two tailed 0.781247 0.029741 0.975357 0.495868 0.867084

Probability one tailed 0.390623 0.014871 0.487679 0.247934 0.433542

For 29 Months (FY09-FY10 & 5 Months of FY11) the Average of the Daily Drug Dose For Each Antibiotic for Each Month was Compared to the Rate of C diff for Each Month

Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient Text in RED is significant

DDD/Rifampin DDD/Sulfa / Trim DDD/Vancomycin C diff Rate Correlation Coeficient = r -0.067553026 0.023909659 0.498962413 1

r2 = 0.004563411 0.000571672 0.248963489 1 Sample Size = 29 Probability two tailed 0.72791 0.902059 0.005871 Probability one tailed 0.363955 0.451029 0.002935

Page 111: C. diff toolkit

111

• 3 - 5% of adults are C. diff carriers

• 50% of neonates are asymptomatic carriers

• 25-30% of hospitalized adults are carriers

Frequency of C. diff

Page 112: C. diff toolkit

112

The dual increase in CDI incidence and severity has resulted in:

• Rising inpatient costs

• Readmission rates

• Mortality rates

CDI Burden

Page 113: C. diff toolkit

113

• Hospitalizations for CDI more than tripled from 2000 to 2010

• The average cost for patients with CDI was $23,190 compared to $8,860 for patients hospitalized without CDI

• Additionally, length of stay for patients diagnosed with CDI was three times as long compared to hospitalized patients without CDI in 2009

Virginia Health Information; dodging a “One-Two Punch” available at: www.vhi.org

Burden of C. diff in Virginia

Page 114: C. diff toolkit

114

• Nationally, from 2000 to 2009, the number of hospitalized patients with any CDI discharge diagnosis more than doubled

• During the same timeframe, the number of hospitalized patients with a primary CDI diagnosis more than tripled

• From 2000 to 2010, hospitalizations for C. diff more than tripled

Burden of C. diff

CDC. Vital signs: Preventing Clostridium difficile infections. March 2012. MMWR 2012; 61(09);157-162

Page 115: C. diff toolkit

115

• Approximately 3 million Americans are affected by CDI every year

• According to the CDC, CDI contributes to 15,000-30,000 deaths annually

• CDI is deadly – up to 1 in 40 elderly are affected

Virulence

Page 116: C. diff toolkit

116

Death Rate Due to C. diff

Page 117: C. diff toolkit

117

Classic risk factors: • Antibiotic therapy

• Advanced age

• Prolonged stay in healthcare facility

• High severity of illness

Additional risk factors: • Inflammatory bowel disease

• Gastrointestinal surgery

• Gastric acid suppression

• Immunosuppression

Risk Factors for Initial CDI

Page 118: C. diff toolkit

118

Rates of recurrent CDI:

• 20% after first episode

• 45% after first recurrence

• 65% after two or more recurrence

Multiple Episodes Recurrent CDI

Page 119: C. diff toolkit

119

The diagnosis of CDI should be based on a combination of clinical and laboratory findings. A case definition for the usual presentation of CDI includes:

o The presence of diarrhea (defined as 3 or more unformed stools

within 24 hours o Stool sample positive for C. diff (either by an assay for Toxins A

and/or B, by culture, or by other means) and/or o Evidence of pseudomembranous colitis detected during

endoscopy or surgery or on histopathologic examination

Diagnosis

Cohen SH, et al Clinical Practice Guidelines for Clostridium difficile Infection in Adults: 2010 Update by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA);2010:21;431-455

Page 120: C. diff toolkit

120

C. difficile produces toxin A and toxin B (TcdA and TcdB). TcdA binds to the apical side of the cell and, after internalization, causes cytoskeletal modification and disruption of tight junctions. The resulting loss of epithelial barrier function facilitates TcdA and TcdB to cross the epithelium with preferential binding of TcdB to the basolateral cell membrane. Both toxins are cytotoxic and lead to production of proinflammatory cytokines, increase in vascular permeability, recruitment of neutrophils and monocytes, epithelial cell apoptosis and connective tissue degradation, resulting in pseudomembrane formation and diarrhea. Further, the activation and release of various neuropeptides by the toxins stimulates ENS to elicit fluid secretion, causing diarrhea.

Actions of Toxin A and Toxin B

Page 121: C. diff toolkit

121

Besides the direct effects of the toxins, other mechanisms underlying C. difficile associated diarrhea include inflammation and activation of neuropeptides. The C. difficile toxins initiate an extensive inflammatory cascade that causes increased damage to host tissues resulting in fluid exudation. TcdA causes release of several proinflammatory cytokines such as leukotriene, PGE2, and tumor necrosis factor (TNFα in vivo). It also directly activates monocytes to release IL-1 and IL-6, and increase neutrophil migration in vitro. Other toxin-mediated inflammatory effects include release of reactive oxygen species, activation of mitogen activated protein kinases.

Page 122: C. diff toolkit

122

Pseudomembranous Colitis

Page 123: C. diff toolkit

123

Mild C. difficile colitis: • low-grade fever • diarrhea (5-10 watery stools a day) • mild abdominal cramps and

tenderness. Severe C. difficile colitis: • high fever (102°F to 104°F) • > 10 watery stools a day with blood • severe abdominal pain and tenderness.

Others: • Dehydration • Electrolyte disturbances • Peritonitis • Megacolon • Perforation

Clinical Features

Page 124: C. diff toolkit

124

1. Correction of dehydration and electrolyte deficiencies

2. Discontinuing the antibiotic that caused the colitis, and

3. Using antibiotics to eradicate the C. difficile bacterium. In patients with mild colitis, stopping the antibiotic that caused the infection may be enough to cause the colitis and diarrhea to subside. In most cases, however, antibiotics are needed to eradicate the C. difficile bacteria.

Management of C difficile Colitis

Page 125: C. diff toolkit

125

Antibiotic Treatment of C difficile Colitis • Antibiotics

- oral or IV metronidazole: 250-500 mg orally 4 times daily or 500- 750 mg orally 3 times daily for 10 days

- oral vancomycin (capsules, oral solution):

Adults and teenagers—125 to 500 mg every six hours 10 days.

Children 10 mg per kilogram of body weight, up to 125 mg every six hours for 10 days.

- rectal vancomycin 500 mg in 250 mL NS every 6 hours as a retention

enema(clamp rectal tube x 1 hour with each dose)

- oral fidaxomicin: 200 mg orally twice daily for 10 days ($3,000)

20% rate of relapse

Page 126: C. diff toolkit

126

1. A second course of the same or a different antibiotic

2. Six weeks of treatment with decreasing doses of antibiotics

3. An oral resin by mouth such as cholestyramine that binds toxins and inactivates them

4. Non-pathogen yeast by mouth such as Saccharomyces boulardii, for example, Florastor

Treatment options for relapses of C. difficile colitis

Others - IVIG - fecal transplant

Page 127: C. diff toolkit

127

Core Prevention Strategies • Educate about CDI: healthcare workers,

housekeeping, administration, patients/residents, families

• Measure compliance with hand hygiene and contact precaution recommendations – Soap and water preferred over alcohol-based

hand rub in outbreak setting

Page 128: C. diff toolkit

128

Core Prevention Strategies • Contact precautions for duration of diarrhea

– Use of gloves only A1 recommendation

• Cleaning and disinfection of equipment and environment

• Laboratory-based alert system for immediate notification of positive test results

Strategies to Prevent C. difficile Infections in Acute Care Hospitals Dubberke et al. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2008;29:S81-92.

Page 129: C. diff toolkit

129

Post Test, Evaluation, & Certificate

In order to obtain your certificate you must complete the post test and evaluation.

Please click on the link below:

http://cmetracker.net/UVACME/Login?FormName=RegLoginLive&eventid=19826

Page 130: C. diff toolkit

130

Clostridium  difficile  Educa'on  Guide  

Page 131: C. diff toolkit

131

What  is  Clostridium  difficile?  •  Clostridium  difficile,  also  known  as  C.  difficile  or  C.  diff,  is  a  gram-­‐posi/ve,  anaerobic,  spore-­‐forming  bacterium  that  can  cause  a  serious  intes/nal  infec/on  in  vulnerable  pa/ents  or  residents.    

•  C.  diff  bacteria  are  found  in  the  feces  and  are  spread  by  direct  or  indirect  contact.    

•  C.  diff  is  most  likely  to  affect  pa/ents  taking  an/bio/cs  in  hospitals  or  long-­‐term  care  facili/es,  but  can  occasionally  cause  problems  in  healthy  people.  

   

       

   

Page 132: C. diff toolkit

132

•  Certain  circumstances  such  as  the  use  of  an/bio/cs,  especially  broad-­‐spectrum  an/bio/cs  (those  that  are  able  to  kill  a  wide  variety  of  bacteria)  disturb  the  balance  of  “good”  bacteria  and  that  normally  keep  other  bacteria  like  C.  diff  in  check  in  the  intes/nal  tract.  This  change  of  balance  allows  C.  diff  bacteria  to  mul/ply.  

 •  When  C.  diff  bacteria  mul/ply,  they  can  produce  toxins  that  aCack  the  lining  of  the  intes/nes,  which  can  lead  to  illness  ranging  from  mild  diarrhea  to  severe  inflamma/on  of  the  colon.    

 

What  Causes  C.  diff  Infec'on?  

Page 133: C. diff toolkit

133

What  Are  the  C.  diff  Infec'on  Trends?  •  The  incidence,  mortality,  and  medical  costs  of  Clostridium  

difficile  infec/on  (CDI)  has  reached  historically  high  rates,  impac/ng  the  en/re  healthcare  spectrum.    

•  According  to  the  Centers  for  Disease  Control  and  Preven/on  (CDC),  from  2000  to  2009,  na'onally,  the  number  of  hospitalized  pa/ents  with  any  C.  diff  discharge  diagnosis  more  than  doubled.  –  During  the  same  /me  period,  in  Virginia,  this  trend  has  con/nued:  the  annual  rate  of  hospitaliza/on  for  C.  diff  has  more  than  tripled.  

   

Page 134: C. diff toolkit

134

Two  Major  Reservoirs  for  C.  diff  in  the  Healthcare  Environment  •  Pa/ents/residents  with  symptoma/c  infec/on  (CDI)  or  asymptoma/c  carriage  (also  known  as  “coloniza/on”)  in  the  feces  – Can  be  spread  to  other  pa/ents/residents  via  the  contaminated  hands  of  healthcare  workers  

•  Inanimate  objects  in  the  environment  such  as  hard  surfaces,  medical  equipment,  and  pa/ent/resident  items    

Page 135: C. diff toolkit

135

C.  diff  Transmission  Within  the  Healthcare  SeDng:  Direct  Contact  •  Direct  contact:  Healthcare  workers  can  spread  C.  diff  bacteria  from  an  affected  pa/ent/resident  to  a  suscep/ble  one  if  their  hands  are  contaminated  (thought  to  be  most  likely  mode  of  transmission)  o  Examples  of  ac/vi/es  that  may  result  in  transfer  of  C.  diff  organisms:  toile/ng,  feeding  or  medica/on  administra/on,  oral  care,  or  suc/oning    

o  Remember  that  family  members  and  visitors  can  get  contaminated  hands  too!  

Page 136: C. diff toolkit

136

C.  diff  Transmission  Within  the  Healthcare  SeDng:  Indirect  Contact  •  Indirect  contact:  C.  diff  bacteria  can  be  transmiCed  from  contaminated  environmental  surfaces  such  as  high-­‐touch  areas  in  pa/ent/resident  rooms,  medical  equipment,  and  pa/ent/resident  items  o  Touching  items  or  surfaces  that  are  contaminated  with  feces  containing  C.  diff  and  then  touching  the  mouth  or  mucous  membranes  can  transmit  C.  diff.  

o  C.  diff  bacteria  in  vegeta/ve  state  do  not  last  long  in  the  environment  but  spores  can  persist  for  months.    

Page 137: C. diff toolkit

137

How  C.  difficile  May  Spread  Between  Healthcare  Facili'es  

Page 138: C. diff toolkit

138

Who  is  at  Risk  for  Developing  C.  diff  Infec'on  (CDI)?  Risk  factors:  •   Exposure  to  an/bio/cs,  especially  broad  spectrum  an/bio/cs    •   History  of  long  stays  in  healthcare  seUngs  (e.g.,  hospitals,  nursing  homes)  •   Advanced  age  (over  65  years  old)  •   Serious  underlying  illnesses  or  condi/ons  (such  as  cancer,  liver  disease,  or  kidney  disease)  •   Weakened  immune  system  •   Gastrointes/nal  problems  or  prior  stomach/bowel  surgery  •   History  of  proton  pump  inhibitor  (PPI)  use  •   Prior  C.  diff  infec/on    

Page 139: C. diff toolkit

139

What  Are  the  Signs  and  Symptoms  for    Mild  to  Moderate  C.  diff  Infec'on?  •  Watery  diarrhea  (i.e.,  three  or  more  /mes  a  day  above  what  is  normal  for  that  person)    

•  Mild  abdominal  cramping,  pain,  and  tenderness  

•  Fever  •  Loss  of  appe/te  •  Nausea  

Page 140: C. diff toolkit

140

What  Other  Condi'ons  Might  Result  From  C.  diff  Infec'on?  •  Pseudomembranous  coli/s    

o  Inflammatory  condi/on  of  the  colon  resul/ng  from  toxin  produc/on  

•  Toxic  megacolon  o Pa/ents  o^en  present  with  peritoneal  signs  such  as  abdominal  disten/on,  fever,  hypotension,  and  leukocytosis  

•  Colon  perfora/on  •  Sepsis  •  In  some  rare  incidences…  death  

Page 141: C. diff toolkit

141

 What  Are  Some  of  the  Signs  and  Symptoms  of  Severe  C.  diff  Infec'on?    •  Inflamed  colon  (coli/s)  •  Patches  of  affected  /ssue  in  the  colon  that  can  bleed  or  produce  pus  (pseudomembranous  coli/s)  

•  Extreme  watery  diarrhea  such  as  10  or  more  /mes  a  day  

•  Severe  abdominal  cramping  •  Fever  •  Blood  or  pus  in  the  stool  •  Dehydra/on  •  Loss  of  appe/te  • Weight  loss  

Page 142: C. diff toolkit

142

What  is  the  Difference  Between  C.  diff  Infec'on  and  C.  diff  Coloniza'on?  

C.  diff  infec'on  •  Person  displays  ac've  signs  and  symptoms  of  C.  diff      (e.g.,  has  diarrhea,  fever,  etc.)  

•  Lab  tests  posi/ve  for  C.  diff  organism  and/or  C.  diff  toxin  

•  C.  diff  may  be  easily  transmiCed  

 

   

C.  diff  coloniza'on  •  Person  displays  no  clinical  symptoms  of  C.  diff  (e.g.,  has  formed  stool,  no  fever,  etc.)  

•  Lab  tests  posi/ve  for  C.  diff  organism  and/or  C.  diff  toxin  

•  C.  diff  may  be  transmiCed,  but  not  as  easily  

Page 143: C. diff toolkit

143

Treatment  •  Varies  based  on  severity  of  symptoms  and  individual  pa/ent  factors  (including  history  of  prior  C.  diff  infec/on),  but  may  include:  –  Discon/ning  the  an/bio/c(s)  that  poten/ally  caused  the  infec/on.  •  In  some  cases  of  mild  to  moderate  C.  diff  infec/on  (~20%),  this  may  be  enough  to  stop  the  infec/on.  

–  Targeted  an/bio/c  therapy  (usually  vancomycin  or  metronidazole)  

–  Surgery  (for  severe  cases)  •  20-­‐30%  of  pa/ents  treated  for  a  C.  diff  infec/on  will  have  a  repeat  infec/on  or  relapse  of  their  symptoms  

•  If  treatment  is  successful  and  symptoms  resolve,  repeat  tes/ng  is  not  recommended.    

Page 144: C. diff toolkit

144

Preven'on  Strategies  •  Iden/fy  and  isolate  suspected  cases  quickly  

•  Use  your  facility’s  Enhanced  Contact  Precau/ons  for  pa/ents/residents  with  known  or  suspected  C.  diff  infec/ons    –  Place  person  in  private  room  or  cohort  with  other  persons  with  C.  diff  infec/on  or  coloniza/on  

– Use  personal  protec/ve  equipment:  gowns  and  gloves  per  your  facility’s  policy  

–  Prac/ce  enhanced  hand  hygiene  (some  facili/es  recommend  hand  washing  with  soap  and  water  a^er  contact  with  a  person  with  C.  diff  since  alcohol  does  not  kill  C.  diff  spores).  

– Dedicate  medical  equipment                            

Page 145: C. diff toolkit

145

Preven'on  Strategies  (cont’d)  •  U/lize  an  environmental  cleaning  and  disinfec/on  protocol  that  includes:  –  Implemen/ng  adequate  cleaning  and  disinfec/ng  for  environmental  surfaces  and  reusable  devices  

– Ensuring  high  touch  surfaces  are  cleaned  and  disinfected,  especially  items  likely  to  be  contaminated  with  feces  

– Using  Environmental  Protec/on  Agency  (EPA)  registered  products  with  sporicidal  claims  and/or  hypochlorite-­‐based  products  for  cleaning  and  disinfec/ng  for  preven/ng  the  spread  of  C.  diff  

– Following  manufacturer’s  guidelines  for  disinfec/on  and  cleaning  of  medical  devices  

                 

Page 146: C. diff toolkit

146

Preven'on  Strategies  (cont’d)  

•  Implement  an/bio/c  stewardship  program  ini/a/ves  to  reduce:  –  Inappropriate  use  of  an/microbials  – Redundant  and  unnecessary  broad  spectrum  an/microbials  

– Dura/on  of  therapy  •  Pa/ent/resident,  family,  and  staff  educa/on  

Page 147: C. diff toolkit

147

Preven'on  Strategies  (cont’d)  

•  Conduct  surveillance  for  C.  diff  infec/on  and  monitoring  compliance  with  hand  hygiene,  contact  precau/ons,  and  environmental  cleaning  

•  Provide  pa/ents  and  residents  opportuni/es  for  hand  hygiene  before  ea/ng,  a^er  toile/ng,  and  when  entering  and  leaving  their  room  environment  

Page 148: C. diff toolkit

148

Communica'on  

•  Inform  and  instruct  all  members  of  the  care  team  in  transmission-­‐based  precau/ons,  enhanced  hand  hygiene  prac/ces,  and  any  special  disinfec/on  prac/ces  and  products  

•  Transfer  informa/on  backwards  and  forwards  within  the  facility  and  between  facili/es  to  provide  for  proper  room  selec/on,  and  ins/tu/on  of  precau/ons  to  prevent  transmission  of  C.  diff  

Page 149: C. diff toolkit

149

Post  Test  1.  ___  True  or                ___False        

2.  ___  True  or            ___False      

3.  ___  True  or          ___False          

1.  Strategies  to  prevent  C.  diff  include:      Droplet  precau/ons,  appropriate  use  of  an/bio/cs,  and  rapid  iden/fica/on  of  suspected/confirmed  cases.  

2.  It  is  recommended  that  healthcare  facili/es  use  dedicated  medical  equipment  for  pa/ents/residents  with  C.  diff  infec/on  

3.  Mild  to  moderate  signs  and  symptoms  of        C.  diff  include:  abdominal  pain,  nausea,  and  diarrhea    

 

Page 150: C. diff toolkit

150

Post  Test  4.  __  True  or                ___False  

   5.  ___  True  or  ___  False  

     

6.  ___  True  or        ____  False  

4.  A^er  treatment,  it  is  recommended  to  retest  for  presence  of  C.  diff    

 5.  C.  diff  infec/ons  can  some/mes  resolve  without  addi/onal  medicine  or  special  treatment  

 6.  C.  diff  is  caused  by  a  virus  that  lives  in  the  bowel  

 

Page 151: C. diff toolkit

151

Post  Test  7.  __  True  or            __  False    

 

8.  __  True  or            __  False      

 9.  __  True  or          ___  False  

7.  A  person  can  be  colonized  with  C.  diff        

8.    In  healthcare  facili/es,  C.  difficile  is  most  o^en  transmiCed  to  the  pa/ent/resident  via  the  contaminated  hands  of  healthcare  workers  

 9.  C.  diff  spores  are  able  to  survive  for  a  long  /me  outside  of  the  body  unless  they  are  destroyed  through  a  very  thorough  cleaning/disinfec/ng  process  

 

Page 152: C. diff toolkit

152

Post  Test  10.  ___  True  or              ___  False    

10.  The  popula/ons  at  greatest  risk  for  acquiring  C.  diff  infec/on  include:  the  elderly,  people  with  a  weakened  immune  system,  and  people  who  have  stayed  for  an  extended  /me  in  a  healthcare  seUng  (e.g.,  hospital  or  nursing  home)  

 

Page 153: C. diff toolkit

153

References  •  APIC  Implementa/on  Guide:  Guide  to  Preven/ng  C.  difficile  Infec/ons.  February  2013.  hCp://apic.org/Resource_/Elimina/onGuideForm/59397fc6-­‐3f90-­‐43d1-­‐9325-­‐e8be75d86888/File/2013CDiffFinal.pdf  

•  CDC  C.  difficile  website:  hCp://www.cdc.gov/HAI/organisms/cdiff/Cdiff_infect.html  

•  CDC  Vital  Signs:  Making  Health  Care  Safer:  Stopping  C.  difficile  Infec/ons.  March  2012.  hCp://www.cdc.gov/VitalSigns/Hai/StoppingCdifficile/  

•  VDH  C.  difficile  website:  hCp://www.vdh.virginia.gov/epidemiology/surveillance/hai/cdiff.htm  

•  VHQC  C.  difficile  collabora/ve  resources:  hCp://www.vhqc.org/qio/resources  

Page 154: C. diff toolkit

154

Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially before preparing food or eating, as well as after using the bathroom.

Family members or caregivers should wear gloves if their hands may come into contact with your stool, urine, or other body fluids, and they should wash their hands with soap and water before putting the gloves on and after removing them.

Using a cleaner that contains bleach, frequently clean areas of the home that may become contaminated with C. diff, especially the bathrooms and areas that are touched frequently such as door knobs and light switches. Personal clothing, linens, and towels can be washed in the usual manner and do not require special handling.

Inform all your healthcare providers that you have a history of C. diff infection so that they may take the appropriate precautions when caring for you.

Talk to your doctor if you have any questions.

For more information:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

www.cdc.gov/HAI/organisms/cdiff/Cdiff_infect.html

Virginia Department of Healthwww.vdh.virginia.gov/epidemiology/surveillance/

hai/cdiff.htm

This material was prepared by VHQC, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Virginia, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of

the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy.

VHQC/IIPC/5/29/2013/1610

Making a Difference

in Virginia:

Clostridium difficile

(C. diff) information

for patients, residents,

and family members

Things to remember about living with C. diff after returning home:

Antibiotic use is one of the most common causes of C. diff. This is why it is important to take antibiotics exactly as prescribed by your doctor.

Generally, when a person takes antibiotics, bacteria (both the good ones and the ones that cause disease) are destroyed. Sometimes the good bacteria are killed for several months.

During this time, patients and residents can get sick from C. diff bacteria that are picked up from contaminated surfaces or items or from the hands of another person (such as a visitor or healthcare worker) who has touched a contaminated item or surface and has not cleaned his or her hands. Who is at risk for getting an infection caused by C. diff?There is a greater chance for getting a C. diff infection if you are elderly or have certain medical problems that may weaken your immune system.

Some of the factors that can increase the risk of getting a C. diff infection are:

• Exposure to antibiotics• Use of proton pump inhibitors (i.e.,

medicines such as Nexium or Prilosec that work to decrease gastric acid production)

• Recent gastrointestional (bowel) surgery or history of gastrointestinal problems

• Lengthy stays in healthcare settings• Presence of a serious illness such as

cancer, liver disease, or kidney disease• Advanced age

What causes C. diff infection?

Page 155: C. diff toolkit

155

Your doctor may think you have a C. diff infection if you have some of these symptoms:

• Watery diarrhea• Fever• Loss of appetite• Nausea• Stomach pain/tenderness

Diarrhea can be caused by many reasons and not all diarrhea is due to C. diff. Therefore, if your healthcare provider thinks you may have C. diff, he or she may collect a stool sample and have it tested by the laboratory to see if C. diff is present.

If I have a C. diff infection, how will it be treated?

Your healthcare provider will make the right treatment decision for you based on your symptoms and your medical history.

If you are currently on an antibiotic, a mild C. diff infection often can be controlled simply by stopping the antibiotic. Sometimes, your doctor will give you a stronger antibiotic that is effective at treating C. diff. In severe cases, surgery may be needed to help you get better.

After treatment, some people remain “colonized” with C. diff. This means that the bacteria remain in the body but do not cause any symptoms. Contact your doctor if your diarrhea does not go away or comes back, or if you develop new symptoms like fever or stomach pain/tenderness.

How do I know if I have a C. diff infection?

Are there special precautions that will be in place during my healthcare stay?

Clostridium difficile (pronounced Klo-STRID-ee-um dif-uh-SEEL) is also known as C. diff or C. difficile and causes Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) or Clostridium difficile infection (CDI).

These are all terms your healthcare providers may use to describe a condition caused by bacteria (germs) found in the intestines (bowels) and stool (bowel movement) of some people and animals. C. diff is the most common cause of infectious diarrhea in hospitals and long-term care facilities (nursing homes).

Many different kinds of bacteria live in and on your body. Some bacteria play an important part in protecting your health, while others, such as C. diff, may cause illness.

The most common symptoms of C. diff infection are:

• Watery diarrhea (mild to severe) • Stomach pain and tenderness• Fever

In severe cases, C. diff may cause parts of the bowel to die or not work correctly, and surgery may be needed to remove those parts.

In rare cases, C. diff may lead to death.

What is Clostridium difficile (C. diff)?

If you are diagnosed with a C. diff infection, your healthcare workers will wear gloves and gowns when touching you or taking care of you to prevent spreading the C. diff germs to others.

Your family members and friends who visit may also be asked to wear gowns and gloves when they enter your room. If your visitors have to use the restroom, they should not use the one in your room. It is also important that your healthcare providers and visitors wash their hands with soap and water before entering and after exiting your room. Feel free to remind everyone to wash their hands. You should keep your hands clean, too. Make sure to wash them after using the restroom, before eating or preparing food, and any time they are visibly dirty.

You may also be asked to stay in your room or avoid going to “common” areas of the facility such as the cafeteria.

Page 156: C. diff toolkit

156

Making a Difference in Virginia: Clostridium difficile (C. diff) information for patients, residents, and family members

What is Clostridium difficile (C. diff)?

Clostridium difficile (pronounced Klo-STRID-ee-um dif-uh-SEEL) is also known as C. diff or C. difficile and causes Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) or Clostridium difficile infection (CDI).

These are all terms your healthcare providers may use to describe a condition caused by bacteria (germs) found in the intestines (bowels) and stool (bowel movement) of some people and animals. C. diff is the most common cause of infectious diarrhea in hospitals and long-term care facilities (nursing homes).

Many different kinds of bacteria live in and on your body. Some bacteria play an important part in protecting your health, while others, such as C. diff, may cause illness.

The most common symptoms of C. diff infection are:

• Watery diarrhea (mild to severe) • Stomach pain and tenderness• Fever

In severe cases, C. diff may cause parts of the bowel to die or not work correctly, and surgery may be needed to remove those parts.

In rare cases, C. diff may lead to death.

What causes C. diff infection?

Antibiotic use is one of the most common causes of C. diff. This is why it is important to take antibiotics exactly as prescribed by your doctor.

Generally, when a person takes antibiotics, bacteria (both the good ones and the ones that cause disease) are destroyed. Sometimes the good bacteria are killed for several months.

During this time, patients and residents can get sick from C. diff bacteria that are picked up from contaminated surfaces or items or from the hands of another person (such as a visitor or healthcare worker) who has touched a contaminated item or surface and has not cleaned his or her hands.

Who is at risk for getting an infection caused by C. diff?

There is a greater chance for getting a C. diff infection if you are elderly or have certain medical problems that may weaken your immune system.

Some of the factors that can increase the risk of getting a C. diff infection are:

• Exposure to antibiotics• Use of proton pump inhibitors (i.e., medicines such as Nexium or Prilosec

that work to decrease gastric acid production) • Recent gastrointestional (bowel) surgery or history of gastrointestinal

problems• Lengthy stays in healthcare settings• Presence of a serious illness such as cancer, liver disease, or kidney

disease• Advanced age

For more information:Centers for Disease Control

and Preventionwww.cdc.gov/HAI/organisms/cdiff/

Cdiff_infect.html

Virginia Department of Healthwww.vdh.virginia.gov/epidemiol-

ogy/surveillance/hai/cdiff.htm

Page 157: C. diff toolkit

157

If I have a C. diff infection, how will it be treated?

Your healthcare provider will make the right treatment decision for you based on your symptoms and your medical history.

If you are currently on an antibiotic, a mild C. diff infection often can be controlled simply by stopping the antibiotic. Sometimes, your doctor will give you a stronger antibiotic that is effective at treating C. diff. In severe cases, surgery may be needed to help you get better.

After treatment, some people remain “colonized” with C. diff. This means that the bacteria remain in the body but do not cause any symptoms. Contact your doctor if your diarrhea does not go away or comes back, or if you develop new symptoms like fever or stomach pain/tenderness.

Are there special precautions that will be in place during my healthcare stay?

If you are diagnosed with a C. diff infection, your healthcare workers will wear gloves and gowns when touching you or taking care of you to prevent spread-ing the C. diff germs to others.

Your family members and friends who visit may also be asked to wear gowns and gloves when they enter your room. If your visitors have to use the restroom, they should not use the one in your room. It is also important that your healthcare providers and visitors wash their hands with soap and water before entering and after exiting your room. Feel free to remind everyone to wash their hands. You should keep your hands clean, too. Make sure to wash them after using the restroom, before eating or preparing food, and any time they are visibly dirty.

You may also be asked to stay in your room or avoid going to “common” areas of the facility such as the cafeteria.

Things to remember about living with C. diff after returning home:

Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially before preparing food or eating, as well as after using the bathroom.

Family members or caregivers should wear gloves if their hands may come into contact with your stool, urine, or other body fluids, and they should wash their hands with soap and water before putting the gloves on and after removing them.

Using a cleaner that contains bleach, frequently clean areas of the home that may become contaminated with C. diff, especially the bathrooms and areas that are touched frequently such as door knobs and light switches. Personal clothing, linens, and towels can be washed in the usual manner and do not require special handling.

Inform all your healthcare providers that you have a history of C. diff infection so that they may take the appropriate precautions when caring for you.

Talk to your doctor if you have any questions.

This material was prepared by VHQC, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Virginia, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy. VHQC/IIPC/5/29/2013/1610

How do I know if I have a C. diff infection?

Your doctor may think you have a C. diff infection if you have some of these symptoms:

• Watery diarrhea• Fever• Loss of appetite• Nausea• Stomach pain/tenderness

Diarrhea can be caused by many reasons and not all diarrhea is due to C. diff. Therefore, if your healthcare provider thinks you may have C. diff, he or she may collect a stool sample and have it tested by the laboratory to see if C. diff is present.

Page 158: C. diff toolkit

This material was prepared by VHQC, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Virginia, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy. VHQC/IIPC/7/17/2013/1655

9830 Mayland Drive | Suite J | Richmond, VA | 23233

www.vhqc.org