How can I be protected against C. Difficile?

You must wash your hands after going to the bathroom, using a basin or a commode chair, and before meals. Wash hands with an antiseptic soap for 15 seconds. To eliminate any risk of contamination, use a paper towel to turn the faucet off.

Can C. Difficile be transmitted to family members or visitors?

For a healthy person not taking antibiotics, the risk of contamination is very low. To ensure maximum protection against C. Difficile, make sure you wash your hands carefully before eating, drinking or after going to the bathroom.

How can contamination by C. Difficile be prevented?

All personnel and visitors must wear a johnny and gloves before visiting an infected patient.

They must take the johnny and the gloves off before exiting the room, then they must wash their hands with the antiseptic gel.

Infection prevention/ C. Difficile information leaflet, adapted from Mc Gill University Health Centre

December 2004

Clostridium Difficile

Information leaflet for the users of the centre

Prepared by

The Infection Prevention and Control Team

December 2004

What is Clostridium Difficile?

Clostridium Difficile is a toxin-emitting bacterium that can cause intestinal infection following the use of antibiotics. If such an infection happens, treatment and hospitalization will be longer.

What are the symptoms of an infection?

The symptoms of a C. Difficile infection are:

To keep the bacterium from spreading, when infected, a patient must be treated with particular caution as long as the symptoms are present.

How is C. Difficile developed?

This bacterium can survive on surfaces and frequently-used objects, such as toilet flushes and faucets. It will develop on your hands, then be inadvertently swallowed. C. Difficile will be more dangerous for patients using antibiotics, because antibiotics alter the normal balance of bacteria in the intestine, which will further help the development of C. Difficile and may cause an infection.

How is the bacterium detected?

Analysis of the feces can reveal the presence of the bacterium or its toxin.

How can C. Difficile be treated?

Should the need arise, your doctor will prescribe a special antibiotic, which will be ingested by the mouth.

What will happen if doctors think I am infected, or if I really am infected?

You will be isolated in an individual room. If such a room is not available, you will be placed with another patient who is also infected. In any case, you will be subject to special isolation measures.