Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital wants the public to be extra vigilant before visiting after an increase in C. difficile cases and significant patient overcapacity.
The hospital says less than five C. difficile cases have been confirmed, but they are experiencing higher than expected numbers on the hospital’s seventh floor because of patients being admitted with the infection from other facilities and the community.
Staff members have put additional control measures into place.
The hospital is also concerned with a ‘significant overcapacity.’ Patient volume reached 105 per cent this week and over a dozen patients in the emergency room were waiting to be admitted to one of the 324 in-patient beds Friday morning.
Patient travel on the seventh floor unit is being limited until it is clear that no new patients are coming down with an infection. 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 two 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.
