Even after rubbing hands with alcohol after caring for patients infected with Clostridium difficile, 24 percent of healthcare workers still carried spores of the bacteria on their hands, according to a study published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
In the controlled study, healthcare workers followed four infection control measures when coming into contact with patients with C. diff. They placed patients in single rooms, wore disposable floor-length, long sleeved gowns and gloves, followed hand hygiene practices before putting on gloves and after removing gloves, and cleaned patient rooms daily with hypochlorite-based disinfectant.
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Zero percent of healthcare workers who did not come into contact with C. diff patients had spores on their hands.
Researchers suggest more information is needed to understand C. diff transmission to better implement additional antimicrobial stewardship efforts.
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