How low can we go?
We’re aiming low – really low — and we won’t be satisfied until we hit rock bottom.
Today, I’m pleased to report that we’re well on our way.
VGH has reduced its C. difficile infection (CDI) rate yet again. At 5.57 cases per 10,000 patient days, we’ve achieved a new all-time record low, sparing patients and families the unnecessary pain and suffering of infection.
Of course, this didn’t happen overnight. It’s taken a “cast of thousands” and more than a year of concentrated effort — and we applaud everyone’s contributions.
“Our success can be attributed to the combined efforts of a strong multidisciplinary team, along with frontline engagement of clinical leads and champions,” says Sydney Scharf, infection control practitioner and co-chair of the CDI Working Group. “Many teams deserve praise — Transport, Equipment Depot, Biomedical Engineering, FMO, Housekeeping, Nursing, Infection Control, Pharmacy, OT/PT and many others.”
People have come together in pursuit of a cleaner and safer hospital for patients as well as staff, Sydney adds. “Since the introduction of the new Equipment Cleaning Manual, which outlines roles and responsibilities for cleaning patient equipment, we’ve had no incidents of staff reporting exposure to dirty or contaminated beds — this is a huge step forward.”
Read all about it
These and other stories about preventing CDI at VGH can be found at VCH News-Vancouver:
- For a first-hand account of CDI’s devastating impact on families, read Lisa Harris’s story: “How C. difficile hurt my family”.
- To learn how it all began: “Preventing C. difficile: Acute Medicine leads the way at VGH”.
- To read the latest unit success story: “ICU makes a clean sweep”
- For more on the Equipment Depot and cleaner, safer bed repairs: “Look for the green tag”.
- For Transport’s contributions: “Clean transport no longer a stretch”.