Study shows healthcare staff contaminated with C. diff after routine care

Nearly 1 in 4 healthcare workers' hands were contaminated with Clostridium difficile spores after routine care of patients infected with the bacteria

By Healthcare Facilities Today


A new study finds nearly 1 in 4 healthcare workers’ hands were contaminated with Clostridium difficile spores after routine care of patients infected with the bacteria, according to an article on the Infection Control Today website. The study was published in the January issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA).

“This is the first known study focusing on the carriage of viable C. difficile spores on healthcare workers hands,” Caroline Landelle, PharmD, PhD, lead author of the study, said in the article. “Because C. difficile spores are so resistant and persistent to disinfection, glove use is not an absolute barrier against the contamination of healthcare workers’ hands. Effective hand hygiene should be performed, even in non-outbreak settings.”

Contamination of healthcare workers’ hands occurred with high-risk contact (e.g., patient washing, digital rectal exam, bed linen change, colonoscopy) or when workers didn’t use gloves, the article said. Hand contamination was also associated with the duration of high-risk contact and was more common among nursing assistants than among other healthcare workers, likely because nursing assistants had more high-risk contact.

Read the article.

 

 

 

 



January 2, 2014


Topic Area: Safety


Recent Posts

The Future of Backup Power Systems in Healthcare Facilities

Manufacturers discuss what trends are shaping the future of backup power systems in healthcare.


Infection Control is Key to Ongoing Measles Outbreak

Infection control is essential to protecting both patients and staff from contracting measles.


Kaiser Permanente to Open New Parker Medical Offices

It also announced it's in the early stages of planning a rebuild and expansion of its Westminster Medical Offices.


Skanska Completes Renovation for New Sutter Health Care Center

The new facility will provide internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, as well as lab and imaging services.


Probiotic Cleaners: The Start of a Cleaning Revolution?

Advantages of probiotic cleaning include fewer resistant genes and cost savings through decreased antibiotic use.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

 
 
 
 

Healthcare Facilities Today membership includes free email newsletters from our facility-industry brands.

Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn   Posts

Copyright © 2023 TradePress. All rights reserved.