An elderly patient who contracted C. difficile in the hospital earlier this month died on the weekend.
The hospital has announced that the cause of death is being directly linked to Clostridium difficile. In addition, two new hospital-acquired cases appeared over the past weekend.
There has been a major outbreak of the illness in Ontario hospitals.
The latest cases indicate the Guelph Hospital is still experiencing an outbreak. Officials there continue their increased efforts in infection control including conducting hand hygiene audits, enhancing environmental cleaning, installing washable keyboards, providing patients with disinfecting hand wipes with their meals, and auditing the cleaning of patient rooms.
C. difficile presents an ongoing, serious challenge for all hospitals. Currently, seven hospitals in the province are experiencing an outbreak of C. difficile.
The illness causes diarrhea and is one of the most common infections in hospitals and long-term care facilities. People most at risk after exposure are typically of advanced age, with underlying illnesses, who are also taking antibiotics. Antibiotics kill off the healthy bacteria in the bowel, which allows C. difficile to flourish and cause illness.
The deadly intestinal bacteria, which is spread by contact, has been linked to 20 deaths at Ontario hospitals since May.
Critics have blamed the province’s outbreak on poor cleanliness and overcrowding.
