A patient is admitted with confirmed Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) infection — profuse watery diarrhea, abdominal pain, and a positive stool toxin assay. Which infection prevention measures should the nurse implement? Select all that apply.
Select All That Apply
Choose your responses, then check the answer.
Explanation
C. difficile precautions: contact isolation in private room (or cohort), soap and water hand hygiene (alcohol does NOT kill spores), sporicidal cleaning agents (bleach), gown and gloves on entry. Choice 3 is wrong — alcohol-based hand rubs are NOT effective against C. diff spores; soap and water are required. Continue isolation through 48 hours after diarrhea resolves.
C. diff is the most-tested NCLEX hand hygiene exception: ALCOHOL DOES NOT KILL C. DIFF SPORES. Soap and water mechanically remove spores. Norovirus also requires soap and water. Other spore-formers (Bacillus anthracis) and visibly soiled hands are also exceptions. Memorize: SOAP for C. diff/Noro/dirty hands; alcohol fine for everything else.
Adult admitted with confirmed C. difficile infection — profuse watery diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, positive stool toxin assay, WBC 18,000. The unit follows CDC C. diff isolation protocols.
Soap and water for C. diff — Mechanical removal of spores via friction; alcohol-based rub does NOT kill spores; required for C. diff and Norovirus.
Sporicidal cleaning — Bleach-based agents (1:10 dilution) required for room cleaning; quaternary ammonium and standard disinfectants do not kill spores.