How will I know if the C. difficile What should I do when I am has gone? discharged home from hospital? When your normal bowel habit returns, it is Normal procedures of routine hand washing considered the infection has gone. and cleaning of the home environment are all that are needed. There is no need for a follow-up test. Wash hands with soap and water, especially

after using the toilet and before handling Clostridium difficile is one of the many Should I tell my GP that I had a food. bacteria (germs) that are found in the C. difficile infection in hospital? Clean surfaces in bathrooms, kitchens bowel and can live there harmlessly. and other areas on a regular basis with Your GP should have been informed about household detergent. About three per cent of healthy adults your C. difficile infection in your discharge letter. in the community carries C. difficile in their bowel. However, if you visit your GP after discharge Will other family members/guests from hospital, you should tell him/her that you Sometimes having antibiotics can had a C. difficile infection. in my home by affected? affect the normal balance of bacteria in People in good health do not usually get a the bowel. If this happens, C. difficile C. difficile infection so friends and relatives may have a chance to multiply and What if the diarrhoea returns? can visit. C. difficile does not present a risk cause symptoms (infection). to your pets. Symptoms of C. difficile diarrhoea should

The information in this leaflet will help have improved significantly, if not completely patients who have had a C. difficile resolved, before your discharge. Should laundry be treated any infection, and their carers too. If you are still on antibiotic treatment for differently? C. difficile, it is very important that you complete the course. If you still have C. difficile diarrhoea, any soiled clothes, bedding, towels etc. should be Please contact your GP if you start to washed separately in a washing machine at

experience diarrhoea, abdominal (tummy) the highest temperature possible for that cramps or tenderness, or fever. fabric. Once your diarrhoea has resolved, there is no need to separate items. ►

Do I need to stay off work? For more information: If you have symptoms of C. difficile, you  ask your hospital doctor or nurse should remain off work until you have been  ask your GP or Practice Nurse free of diarrhoea for 48 hours.  look on NHS Choices www.nhs.uk  or Health Protection Agency If you work within a hospital or healthcare www.hpa.org.uk or Public Health England facility, or within catering or in the food www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ industry, you should inform your manager public-health-england and/or Occupational Health department that Discharge of

you have had a C. difficile infection. ● Surrey & Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust Trust Headquarters, East Surrey Hospital, patients with Canada Avenue, Redhill, Surrey RH1 5RH Telephone: 01737 768511 C. difficile Web: www.surreyandsussex.nhs.uk

The Patient Advice & Liaison Service can be information for patients, contacted on telephone 01737 231958. carers, relatives and visitors This leaflet can be provided in other languages and formats upon request. Please telephone 01737 231958 or email [email protected]

Leaflet produced by IPCAS Team in April 2013 From Guide to Implementation of the World Health Organisation’s Review date: April 2015 Multimodal Hand Hygiene Improvement Strategy (revised Aug 2009) MR6073A