Home Health RN with C. Diff

[leedolson]

I'm interested in hearing from healthcare workers who have contracted C.Diff on the job. I've been horribly ill and still have malabsorbtion syndrome, IBS and a low albumin level. I have been refused L and I because I can't "prove" I got it on the job as a Home Health Hospice RN although about 20% of our elderly pts. are discharged with C diff. Does anyone have any experience with getting an L and I claim through?
Thanks, Lee Dolson

[Sheila1]

Hi Lee,

There are many different professionals who have posted here, some nurses, doctor, PT, etc. You might try posting your question on some of the various nursing and RN forums. I've done some searches and know there has been some RN's post with cdiff.

Proving cdiff was contracted from a patient would be very difficult. It resides in about 3% of the population anyway, about 70% of babies and can live in the soil and other places for up to 2 years or more. In addition, community acquired cases are significantly increasing too.

Did a round of antibiotics cause your current illness? If you had a recent date when you took antibiotics and did not get sick, plus a patient with a confirmed diagnosis of cdiff, that you took care of while they were ill with cdiff, between two recent doses of antibiotics (one where you did not get sick, the other where you did) you might be able to make a case - but I wouldn't hold my breath. If you even visited a hospital in the interim or met with a co-worker in the interim, it would negate the likelihood of contracting it from "that" patient only.

I sure understand your frustration though. Many of us have an idea of where we got it - but can't prove it so aren't successful in any kind of case or lawsuit. Several have tried the lawsuit route when they knew they got it in hospital, to no avail.

Do you have any other regular medical leave available to you? That would be your best route, similar to any other long-term illness. That should be approved, though some have had to fight with the LTD insurance company.

I'm sorry you are having to deal with this and hope you have a good GI doctor or ID doctor who has you on a good program. Read through the site in FAQ, there is lots of information on diet, probiotics, hygiene, etc. that may be of big help to you.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

[Bobbie]

As Sheila said, your case would be difficult to "prove." Some of us thought about this route. I considered a suit agains the pharm company that makes Vantin (not the doctor). Found out many things I didn't know. Drug companies are mega powerful. Average-paid workers are not worth much in a court of law. I had a medium-paying job, had no one dependant on me, and was older. Thus, I wasn't worth much. If I were a high-paid executive, younger, with children, I would have been worth more consideration.

If you do try the "legal route," make sure the med mal. attorney is reputable & will take your case on contigency. I worked in the legal field at the time (legal assistant) & had "all my stuff" together. I saw six or seven attornies. One said, "Now if only you were a parapalegic. Now then we'd have something to show the jury!" One firm returned my case with the notation: "Plaintiff has just cause, but it's not worth our time to pursue."

Unless negligence can be proved, you don't have much a case.

[leedolson]

Thanks for your reply. I'm so glad I've found this site and talk with others who have or are going through this. I feel that since my Home Health companies protocol was to use hand sanitizer unless we had matter on our hands, combined with the fact that we were not told our pts. had C diff on the home referral, they should have culpability. I know it would be hard to win but, I just might try. Lee

[arlyed]

I am an RN who works at a local hospital in a pre and post surgical area.
On Jan. 22, I went to the ER at the same hospital with right upper quadrant pain - no surprise I had acute gall bladder disease. The surgeon scheduled me for laparoscopic surgery for the following day and started me on IV Zosyn. I was placed in a private room on a floor that I worked on many years ago. The room I was given is the type of room that patients who are on precautions (such as ...C-diff are placed in) I stayed in the hospital until Jan. 26 all the while I received the IV antibiotic.
I was given a prescription for Augmentin to be taken orally for 10 days at home. I saw my surgeon on Feb. 6. At that time I was doing well - incisions healing,minimal pain, slightly loose stool, but that is not unexpected post gall bladder surgery. Feb 7 I started having lower abdominal cramping. I continued my low fat diet and modified it further.
Contnued to experience some cramping for the next couple of weeks, soft bm, no diarrhea. Returned to work Feb 20-of course right away had a cold. Started with diarrhea soon after which progressed to extreme rectal pain and pressure with purulent diarrhea 10-15 times per day. March 7 I went to urgent care which is part of the group that my pcp belongs to.
I brought a stool spec with me because I no longer believed that this was routine post gall bladder symptoms. No one wanted to deal with my stool spec - they wanted a abdominal cat scan. Unable to do scan at urgent care so I returned to the ER at my hospital. Scan showed "peri-rectal abcess". I was seen by my surgeon in the ER and he ruled out the abcess by doing - shall I say - an extremely pinful rectal exam. He said "I think you have c-diff", but did not want a stool spec (even though I was more than able to produce one or two or even more). He sent me home on flagyl for one week which I dutifully took. I returned to work and started with symptoms within 3-4 days. I cornered the surgeon at work and told him I was again symptomatic, we cosulted a GI doc and I obtained a stool spec and took it too the lab the following day. The results came back positive the following day and I started agin on the flagyl-this time for 3 weeks. I again stayed home for a week while symptoms subsided, went back to work and relapsed again within 3-4 days. I took a stool spec to the ER at that point because I knew this was the quickest way to get it tested. I had an appt with the GI doctor in 2days and I wanted the results from the spec for her. Again positive and I was started on vanco 125mg 4xdaily. Am now without symptoms, but have a couple of days left on vanco. I have been out of work 2 weeks with this relapse. I have an appointment next week with my GI doc and will take a spec in to the lab a couple days prior to my appt.
The whole point is I know when I was infected, but human resources states that because the infection was acquired during my hospitalization, they can't help me financially. The hospital's risk management lawyer maintains that since c-diff is a "naturally occuring bowel flora" I don't have a claim as a patient. I also spoke to one of those malpractice lawyers - he said it would cost almost as much to litigate as I would get for my lost wages.
The hospital's mission statement is "careing for the health of our community" - great - what about careing for the health of your employees/patients???

sorry this is so bulky and thanks for listening-
arlyed