The Stratford General Hospital has raised the level of it's sterilization procedures and visitor instructions.
An outbreak of C. difficile has been confirmed on the Medicine and Integrated Stroke Unit.
C. difficile is a bacteria that usually does not cause any problems or symptoms in healthy people. However, in some hospitalized patients, C. difficile can damage the lining of the bowel, causing diarrhea. People at risk include those who have a history of antibiotic use, recent bowel surgery, chemotherapy, prolonged hospitalization, advanced age or a serious underlying illness.
Visitors to the Stratford General Hospital are required to follow posted instructions and are asked to limit their interaction to one patient per visit.
Those visiting infected patients will be required to wear gloves and gowns and will have to wash their hands with soap and water after leaving the patient's bedside.
“In response to the outbreak, we are reminding everyone to clean their hands upon entering and exiting the hospital, patient care areas and patient rooms,” says Andrew Williams, HPHA President & CEO. “Hand washing is key to stopping the spread of bacteria.”
“Most cases of C. difficile occur in patients who are taking certain antibiotics in high doses or over a prolonged period of time,” says Kerri Hannon, Infection Control Practitioner. “Some antibiotics can destroy a person's normal bacteria found in the gut, causing C. difficile bacteria to grow. When this occurs, the C. difficile bacteria produce toxins, which can damage the bowel and cause diarrhea.”
