St. Luke's Boise (Idaho) Medical Center lowered its Clostridium difficile rates by moving away from beach and using a bundled approach with a different cleaner, according to an article on the Becker's Infection Control and Clinical Quality website.
The bundled approach involved targeting hand hygiene compliance and antimicrobial stewardship, as well as switching to OxyCide, a disinfectant cleaner.
The switch came with challenges. The new cleaner smells different then bleach — more of a vinegar smell — and it took some time for staff and patients alike to get used to that.
Eventually, the entire bundled approach led to a 23 percent reduction in C. diff infection rates at the hospital.
CRAB Alert: The EVS Role in Preventing Infection
Why Hospital Waiting Rooms Aren't Going Away
Ground Broken on Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Hospital
Design, Compartmentation, Training: How Defend-in-Place Strategies Can Protect Patients
Milestone Marked with Topping Out Ceremony for BayCare Hospital Manatee