Today, c diff awareness in skilled nursing

[notheidi]

As you may know, I am a social worker and I travel to different SNFs. Well this is what I encountered at work today. Was going in to see a patient and inquired whether they were in isolation status, as I always do. The answer was, "No, but the roommate is." For what? "C diff."

My poor non-c diff patient was recently on antibiotics for an infection, AND roomed with a patient with c diff.

Straight up ticked me off. I politely spoke to the supervisor about it who basically said I had a good point, 'But antibiotics are everywhere...' OK lady, YOU try getting c diff twice and see how you like it, or see how you'd like your family member, recently on antibiotics, roomed with someone with c diff. It's only ok because it's "them" and you feel that "they," "the sick ones" are in a different category than you.

Man, it straight up burned me up. Because it's not "just" getting deathly ill once--it's months of recovery, and a lifetime of worrying and stress. For nothing! Because of your poor infection control procedures. Why put someone who is at heightened risk in with someone who has it? At least pick a roomie who hasn't been on antibiotics recently--at least do that much. In my mind, that's negligence.

I hate hospital acquired infections. There is no reason for them. Why do we as patients accept this? How is it ok for it to be so common to go into the hospital to have surgery and then get MRSA or c diff. We have to start holding these facilities accountable. Why don't they spend more on housekeeping and properly disinfecting? Because they are big corporations and in it to make a buck.

[zinnia1]

Good for you!!! Did they think further about moving your patient? I look at everything differently now and people look at me cross-eyed. Your patient and their family are lucky to have you.
I am avoiding getting a back molar implant done, because it will require antibiotic and I am four months since last vanco. My dentist does not get my concern and apprehension at all. She actually told me that she thought I had become a little overly anxious lately and was making a big deal out of just some medicine that they give everyone...

[Bobbie]

Notheidi, good for you, we all need to speak up. I wish there was a way we could organize an organization that would police hospitals. Isn't the FDA involved in this?

I have asked doc's to wash their hands, to some of their disgust, and they still didn't do it correctly - merely ran their hands under the water and turned off the dirty taps with their washed hands,

The UK had a support group that patrolled hospitals and then marched on Parliament to protest their results. Roy can tell,us more about this.

C diff has changed many of our lives for the worst, if only we could protect more people from it. You "did good, Notheidi.

[notheidi]

Zinnia, so I think they thought about moving her, but not sure that it happened. I really saw the attitude of 'oh well, what I do won't make a difference anyway,' in the nursing supervisor. I actually did tell the supervisor that I've had c diff twice and it is no fun, and you don't want it.

Re: your dentist, yeah, non c differs don't get it...

The state of SNFs in this country is sad. They are overworked, understaffed, and underpaid for the important work they do. Still this kind of negligence is inexcusable in my opinion. I wanted to tell my patient to request a room change, or to report them to licensing...but I had already taken the one path of talking with the nursing supe so I felt weird doing that.

Thanks, Bobbie! I actually wrote an op-ed piece for the newspaper while I was sick and had the time. It didn't get published, though. I need to redo it.

I do believe US hospitals are now required to track and report c diff, but I'm not sure on that. SNFs need to follow but aren't yet required. I wrote to one of my legislators [again while I was sick] but didn't get a response. And he is a doctor. A pediatrician, but a doctor still.

It takes courage to ask your healthcare provider to wash their hands. How infuriating when they do a crappy job! It seems to be the thing to do at that point is to raise a HUGE stink, but then of course we would get labeled as difficult patients.

We really need a c diff simulator so some of these people know what it's like. Some company created this schizophrenia simulator, where you would watch a video and wear headphones and see life though the lens of someone with schizophrenia. We need that for c diff!!!

[sevla]

The sad part is that many hospital acquired infections do not get reported. I got cdiff in a hospital, but only got sick 4 days after being discharged. When I went back to the ER of the same hospital with bad D, fever, chills, etc..after waiting for 10h to be seen and thinking I will die there, they send me back home with the diagnostics of "gastritis" and cipro.... They could have killed me would I have taken what they gave me! I am fortunate thay a friend of mine told me that same day that she thought it was cdiff and after calling my PCP she immediately put me on Flagyl..my PCP was mortified that the same hospital where I had been for 3 days did not make the connection of testing me for cdiff and make the right diagnosis. So there you go - a case that was not reported..ugh

Filthy places and neglicence in cleaning! I was there for 3 days and nobody cleaned my room..no wonder I got cdiff. It makes me very mad! It would cost them so much less having the right cleaning protocol and isolate patients..

[justme]

I suspect I got C. Diff 6 years after a hospital stay (6 days for SCA in L.A. in 2007). It had to be that time, because C. Diff in Hawaii is still pretty uncommon and I had no hospital stay since. For most of us, it is hard to pinpoint exactly where or when the spore was contracted. It is really too bad that so few people really know or understand this disease and both hospitals, care facilities, and doctors offices are not kept as clean as they should be. Fortunately, Hawaii is pretty good with more advanced cleanliness standards than most places. I've become much more aware of this since having C. Diff, as have all of us on this site. We are spreading the word, but it may take awhile for most healthcare facilities to catch up (unfortunately).
Anne