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May 16, 2012 – The fifth case of C. difficile since April 13 has been identified today on 5 West at the General Campus, resulting in an outbreak being declared.  Ontario’s Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care defines an outbreak of C. difficile as:

“For wards/units with ≥ 20 beds, 3 cases of nosocomial CDI identified on one ward/unit within a seven day period or 5 cases within a 4 week period”

To reduce the risk of spread of infection, strict measures have been implemented. Our health-care teams work hard to reduce the occurrence of hospital acquired infections and when cases are detected, special measures are put in place to reduce their spread.

These include:

• Isolating patients who have diarrhea in private rooms when possible.
• Using a bleach solution to clean the environment.
• Auditing to ensure equipment and hands are cleaned between patients.
• Reminders to staff, patients and visitors that frequent hand washing, or use of alcohol-based hand rubs, is the best way to stop the infection.
• Preventing unnecessary traffic and congestion in the unit experiencing the outbreak.

As a visitor:

Please do not visit friends or family in the hospital if you are unwell. If you visit, you must wash your hands with antibacterial gel when entering and leaving the hospital, as well as frequently while you are here.

Learn more about C. difficile and how you can help prevent infections.