Clostridium difficile infection: nursing considerations
Brett G Mitchell Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Nursing and Health, Avondale College of Higher Education, Wahroonga, Australia
Phillip L Russo PhD scholar, School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
Paul Race Faculty Dean, Faculty of Nursing and Health, Avondale College of Higher Education, Wahroonga, Australia
Clostridium difficile is a bacterium which commonly causes diarrhoea in inpatients. C. difficile affects hospitalised patients worldwide and can pose a significant risk to patients. This article explores the transmission and risk factors for C. difficile infection (CDI). There are many aspects to the prevention and control of CDI: appropriate antibiotic use, early instigation and maintenance of prevention and control strategies, and high standards of environmental cleanliness, education, and surveillance. This article discusses the role of the nurse in each of these prevention and control activities.
Nursing Standard.
28, 47, 43-48.
doi: 10.7748/ns.28.47.43.e8857
Peer review
This article has been subject to double blind peer review
Received: 10 February 2014
Accepted: 11 April 2014
Want to read more?
Already have access? Log in
or
3-month trial offer for £5.25/month
Subscribe today and save 50% on your first three months
RCNi Plus users have full access to the following benefits:
- Unlimited access to all 10 RCNi Journals
- RCNi Learning featuring over 175 modules to easily earn CPD time
- NMC-compliant RCNi Revalidation Portfolio to stay on track with your progress
- Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
- A customisable dashboard with over 200 topics
Subscribe
Alternatively, you can purchase access to this article for the next seven days.
Buy now
Are you a student? Our student subscription has content especially for you.
Find out more
