ÎÎEnsure cleaning and disinfection of equipment and the environment
(B-III for equipment and B-II for the environment).
ÎÎImplement a laboratory-based alert system to provide immediate
notification to infection prevention and control and clinical personnel
about patients with newly diagnosed CDI (B-III).
ÎÎConduct CDI surveillance; analyze and report CDI data (B-III).
ÎÎEducate healthcare personnel, housekeeping personnel, and hospital
administration about CDI (B-III).
ÎÎEducate patients and their families about CDI as appropriate (B-III).
ÎÎMeasure compliance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
or World Health Organization hand-hygiene and contact precaution
recommendations (B-III).
Special approaches for the prevention of CDI**
ÎÎPerform a CDI risk assessment.
ÎÎApproaches to minimize C. difficile transmission by healthcare personnel
>> Intensify the assessment of compliance with process measures (B-III).
>> Perform hand hygiene with soap and water as the preferred method before exiting the
room of a patient with CDI (B-III).
>> Place patients with diarrhea under contact precautions while C. difficile test results are
pending (B-III).
>> Prolong the duration of contact precautions after the patient becomes asymptomatic
until hospital discharge (B-III).
ÎÎApproaches to minimize CDI transmission from the environment
>> Assess the adequacy of room cleaning (B-III).
>> Use sodium hypochlorite (bleach)-containing cleaning agents for environmental
cleaning. Implement a system to coordinate with the housekeeping department if it is
determined that sodium hypochlorite is needed for environmental disinfection (B-II).
ÎÎApproaches to reduce the risk of CDI acquisition
>> Initiate an antimicrobial stewardship program (AII).
Approaches that should NOT be considered a routine part of
CDI prevention
>> Patients without signs or symptoms of CDI should NOT be tested for C. difficile (B-II).
>> C. difficile testing should NOT be repeated at the end of successful therapy for a patient
recently treated for CDI (B-III).
* Recommended for all acute care hospitals.
** These special approaches are recommended for use in locations and/or populations within the hospital
for which outcome data and/or risk assessment suggest lack of effective control despite implementation of
basic practices.
