Four Rochester, N.Y., hospitals have formed a C. difficile prevention collaborative, according to an article on the Wall Street Journal website. Six nursing homes that share patients with the hospitals formed a separate alliance.
In the 12 months ended in September 2015, rates of C. difficile infections fell 36% from 2011 levels across the hospitals.
The collaborative initially focused on cleaning. The hospitals taught staff to scrub long and hard with bleach wipes in hospital rooms. “Just like if you’re washing a plate, you have to apply pressure to get food off,” said Jeanna Hibbert, who cleans rooms at Strong Memorial Hospital, one of the four participating hospitals.
They also introduced inspections of cleaned rooms, using a tool that checks for even small amounts of contamination.
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