A client has watery diarrhea after recent antibiotic therapy and a positive C. difficile test. Which infection control action is most appropriate after providing care?
1Place the client on droplet precautions during diarrhea.
2Keep the door closed and use an N95 respirator.
3Use alcohol-based hand rub after removing gloves.
4Remove PPE and wash hands with soap and water.✓ Correct answer
Explanation
C. difficile requires contact precautions, environmental cleaning, and careful hand hygiene. Soap and water is preferred after caring for clients with known or suspected C. difficile because spores are not reliably removed by alcohol-based hand rub alone. Droplet or airborne precautions are not the primary route for C. difficile.
Clinical Judgment Match the organism to transmission route and choose hand hygiene that removes spores.
Memory Tip C. diff: contact precautions, gown and gloves, soap and water.
KR vs US NCLEX often contrasts alcohol gel with soap and water for spore-forming organisms.
Clinical Practice GuideCDC guidance emphasizes adherence to hand hygiene and contact precautions for C. difficile and notes soap and water is best to prevent spread.
CautionGloves reduce contamination but do not replace hand washing.
C. difficile — A spore-forming bacterium that can cause diarrhea and colitis, often after antibiotic exposure.
Contact Precautions — Transmission-based precautions using gown, gloves, dedicated equipment, and environmental cleaning for contact-spread organisms.
Hand Hygiene — Cleaning hands at the right times; soap and water is preferred after C. difficile exposure.