Clostridioides difficile (formerly known as Clostridium difficile) affects mainly people aged over 65, although people of all ages can get it. The infection nearly always occurs in patients given antibiotics.
Service users who have contracted Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) infection are being asked to “carry the card” to reduce the risk of getting it again. These are available free within North Yorkshire and York. If your organisation is interested in ordering supplies please contact us.
Health professionals in hospitals and in the community are working together to help reduce the impact of C. difficile and improve the care of people who have recently been diagnosed with the infection.
Because a further course of antibiotics can trigger a relapse of C. difficile, people who have had the infection are now being given a card, which they can show to doctors before they are prescribed antibiotics so doctors can avoid prescribing medication which is particularly likely to cause a relapse. Patients who carry the card should show it to any health professional involved in their care. This includes doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists and other healthcare workers such as those in care homes.
A downloadable Community Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Policy which can be adopted by your organisation is available below. Alternatively, a complete set of IPC Guidance documents is available to purchase @ £69.99 – details can be found on the flyer and resource order form.
Updated: 05/05/2021
