Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital On Alert Over C. Difficile Cases

Hello time traveller!!
This article is 4000 days old.
The information listed below is likely outdated and has been preserved for archival purposes.

Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital is advising the public to be extra vigilant in taking precautions before visiting the hospital after a recent increase in C. difficile cases and significant patient overcapacity. Hospital officials say although less than five C. difficile cases have been confirmed in hospital, they are experiencing higher than expected numbers on the hospital’s seventh floor due to patients being admitted with the infection from other facilities and the community.

The hospital has put additional control measures were put into place immediately after the higher numbers were identified.  At the same time, they hospital reports that they are operating under a significant overcapacity concern. Patient volume reached 105 per cent this week and this morning, more than a dozen patients in the emergency room were waiting to be admitted to in-patient beds. There are 324 patient beds at the hospital.

Patient travel on the seventh floor unit is being limited until it is clear that no new patients are coming down with an infection. Additional precautions are being used with all affected patients, meaning staff members are required to wear gloves and a gown whenever in contact with a symptomatic patient.

The following recommendations are being given to visitors:

• Limit visitation to 2 visitors per patient
• Use alcohol-based hand rub immediately upon entrance to the unit, periodically when in the unit, and when exiting the unit.
• Follow the same additional precautions as the hospital staff, which may include wearing gloves and a gown while visiting your loved one.
• Visit a loved one only.
• As per our visiting policy children under 10 should only visit for compassionate reasons.