Clostridioides Difficile Infections

Clostridioides Difficile Infections

At Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System we care deeply about the well being of our patients and their families.

Clostridioides difficile, also known as C. diff, is a bacterium that causes diarrhea and colitis. A 2015 CDC study found that it caused almost half a million infections among patients in the United States in a single year. An estimated 29,000 deaths are directly attributable to C. diff infections, making it a substantial cause of infectious disease death in the United States.

How does HRMC compare to state and national levels for C. Diff infections?

Standardized Infection Ratio (SIR)

The Standardized Infection Ratio (SIR) is a statistic used to track healthcare associated infections (HAIs) over time, at a national, state, and facility level. The SIR compares the actual number of HAIs at each hospital, to the predicted number of infections.

  • If the SIR is equal to 1 then the number of actual infections is the same as the number predicted
  • If the SIR is less than 1 then the number of actual infections is less than the number predicted
  • If the SIR is greater than 1 then the number of actual infections is greater than the number predicted

What are we doing to prevent C. Diff Infections?

To prevent C. diff infections, our doctors, nurses, and other health care providers:
  • Clean their hands with soap and water before and after caring for every patient with C. diff.
  • Carefully clean hospital rooms and medical equipment that have been used for patients with C. diff.
  • Utilize the Optimum-UV Enlight™ System as an extra layer of disinfection
  • Use these precautions to prevent C. diff from spreading to other patients:
  • Patients with C. diff are given their own room or share a room with someone who also has C. diff.
  • Health care providers put on gloves and wear a gown while taking care of patients with C. diff.
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