Executive Summary Checklist
In order to implement a program to eliminate Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) the following implementation plan will require the actionable steps. The following checklist was adapted from the core prevention strategies recommended by the CDC \cite{00015}.
- Hospital governance and senior administrative leadership must champion efforts in raising awareness to prevent and safely manage CDI
- Implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programs can prevent and/or minimize infection rates in healthcare settings. Refer to APSS #3A.
- Maintain contact precautions for duration of diarrhea
- Comply with hand hygiene as described in APSS #2A
- Clean and disinfect equipment and environment Equipment such as blood pressure cuffs and pulse oximeters are frequently not cleaned between patients. Might be useful to include some examples of equipment to ensure routine cleaning.
- Use a laboratory-based alert system for immediate notification of positive test results
- Implement technologies that support proper surface cleaning and utilize as part of a defined environmental control best practice program
- Such as Clorox® Healthcare Bleach Germicidal Wipes or Xenex® UV Light Disinfection System.
- Educate healthcare providers, housekeeping, administration, patients and families about CDI
- Encourage continuous process improvement through the implementation of quality process measures and metrics.
- All CDIs should have a root cause analysis (RCA) completed by the unit where the infection occurred with multidisciplinary participation including nursing, physicians and infection prevention specialists. All learnings from the RCA should be implemented.
The Performance Gap
Clostridium difficile (C. diff) is a spore-forming, Gram-positive anaerobic bacillus that produces two exotoxins: toxin A and toxin B \cite{00016}. It is a common cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD), and it accounts for 15-25% of all episodes of AAD. Various diseases result from C. diff infection (CDI), including: pseudomembranous colitis (PMC), toxic megacolon, perforations of the colon, sepsis, and death (rarely). The clinical symptoms include watery diarrhea, fever, loss of appetite, nausea and abdominal pain/tenderness. Certain patient populations are at an increased risk for C. diff, including patients with: antibiotic exposure, proton pump inhibitors, gastrointestinal surgery/manipulation, long length stay in healthcare settings, a serious underlying illness, immunocompromising conditions and advanced age.
Clostridium difficile is shed in feces. Any surface, device, or material that becomes contaminated with feces may serve as a reservoir for the C. diff spores. The spores are primarily transferred to patients mainly via the hands of healthcare personnel who have touched a contaminated surface or item. It is important to note that C. diff spores are not killed by alcohol-based hand rubs \cite{Oughton_2009},\cite{Jabbar_2010},\cite{18177221}. The WHO recommends washing hands with soap and water before gloving and after degloving \cite{00017}. CDI will resolve within 2-3 days of discontinuing the antibiotic to which the patient was previously exposed in approximately 20% of patients. The infection can usually be treated with an appropriate course (about 10 days) of antibiotics. After treatment, repeat C. diff testing is not recommended if the patients’ symptoms have resolved, as patients may remain colonized. The differences between C. diff colonization and infection are important to note:
- Clostridium difficile colonization
- Patient exhibits NO clinical symptoms
- Patient tests positive for Clostridium difficile organism and/or its toxin
- More common than Clostridium difficile infection
- Clostridium difficile infection
- Patient exhibits clinical symptoms
- Patient tests positive for the C. diff organism and/or its toxin
Common laboratory tests used to diagnose C. diff infection include stool culture, molecular tests, antigen detection for C diff, toxin testing (tissue culture cytoxicity assay or enzyme immunoassay). The toxin is very unstable and degrades at room temperature, and may be undetectable within 2 hours after collection of a stool specimen. False-negative results occur when specimens are not promptly tested or kept refrigerated until testing can be done.
Leadership Plan
- Hospital governance and senior administrative leadership must champion efforts in raising awareness to prevent and manage CDIs safely.
- Healthcare leadership should support the design and implementation of an antimicrobial stewardship program
- Senior leadership will need to integrate surveillance and metrics to ensure prevention measures are being followed
- Leadership commitment and action are required at all levels for successful process improvement
Practice Plan
Establish and consistently implement Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) prevention guidelines that focus on the education of healthcare providers, patients, and families, surveillance, hand hygiene, contact and isolation precautions, and establishment of an antimicrobial stewardship program \cite{00016},\cite{00017}. An example of an evidence-based approach is the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology Guide to Preventing Clostridium difficile Infections. This Guide can be accessed online \cite{00018}.
We have also listed key elements of CDI prevention below:
- Implement a facility-wide CDI surveillance method of both process measures and the infection rates to which the processes are linked.
- Hand Hygiene \cite{Oughton_2009}-\cite{00017}
- It is recommended that healthcare providers wash hands with soap and water before donning gloves and following glove removal when caring for patients with CDI. No agent, including alcohol-based hand rubs, is effective against C. diff spores.
- Appropriate use and removal of gloves is essential when caring for patients with diarrheal illnesses, like CDI.
- Contact/Isolation Precautions
- Use Standard Precautions for all patients, regardless of diagnosis.
- Place patients with CDI on Contact Precautions in private rooms when available.
- Perform hand hygiene and put on gown and gloves before entry to the patient’s room.
- Use dedicated equipment (blood pressure cuff, thermometer, and stethoscope).
- Remove gown and gloves and perform hand hygiene before exiting the room.
- Educate the patient and family about precautions and why they are necessary and ensure that visitors are properly attired in personal protective equipment.
- Environmental Infection Prevention
- Use EPA-approved germicide for routine disinfection during non-outbreak situations \cite{00019}.
- Ensure that personnel allow appropriate germicide contact time.
- Ensure that personnel responsible for environmental cleaning and disinfection have been appropriately trained.
- For routine daily cleaning of all patient rooms, address at least the following items:
- Bed, including bedrails and patient furniture (including the bedside and over-the-bed tables and chairs).
- Bedside commodes and bathrooms, including sink, floor, tub/shower, toilet.
- High-touch surfaces like call buttons and TV remotes.
- Communication devices such as walkie-talkies used by nurses to communicate with the nursing station as well as personal cell phones carried by healthcare personnel.
- Antimicrobial Stewardship and CDI
- Implement a program that supports the judicious use of antimicrobial agents \cite{00020}.
- The program should incorporate a process that monitors and evaluates antimicrobial use and provides feedback to medical staff and facility leadership.
Technology Plan
Suggested practices and technologies are limited to those proven to show benefit or are the only known technologies with a particular capability. As other options may exist, please send information on any additional technologies, along with appropriate evidence, to info@patientsafetymovement.org - Implement technologies that support proper surface cleaning and utilize as part of a defined environmental control best practice program
- Such as Clorox® Healthcare Bleach Germicidal Wipes or Xenex® UV Light Disinfection System.
- Implement technologies that support proper hand hygiene and utilize as part of a defined hand hygiene best practice program such as product utilization and staff movement tracking, sensor bracelets, alcohol sensing technologies.
- See APSS 2A for a list of hand hygiene technology suppliers
Metrics
Topic:
Healthcare-associated Clostridium Difficile Infection Rate (CDiff)
Rate of patients with a healthcare associated CDI per 1,000 patient days
Outcome Measure Formula:
Numerator: Number of healthcare associated CDI based on CDC NHSN definitions \cite{00020}
Denominator: Total number of patient days based on CDC NHSN definitions
*Rate is typically displayed as Infections/1000 Patient Days
Metric Recommendations:
Direct Impact:
All hospitalized patients