Curbing Clostridium difficile with patient hand hygiene

A new study has found that increasing the patient’s involvement in hand hygiene can positively impact whether they contract the infection


A new study has found that increasing the patient’s involvement in hand hygiene can positively impact whether they contract the infection, according to an article on the Contagion Live website.

The toughest part about C. difficile prevention is the pathogen is spore-forming, which makes it harder to kill through typical hand hygiene and disinfecting practices. People must wash their hands with soap and water because alcohol-based hand sanitizers are not effective against spores. 

Healthcare facilities also must use bleach product to properly kill the pathogen when cleaning and disinfecting rooms and other environments.

The results of this study highlight the success that can be seen with patient education and increased attention on staff and patient hand hygiene. 

Read the article.

 



November 6, 2017


Topic Area: Infection Control


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