Media Advisory

Update on C. difficile

TORONTO & MISSISSAUGA, March 9, 2007 – In response to media inquiries, Trillium Health Centre is issuing the following update regarding C. difficile.

As of 5:00 p.m. today, Trillium confirms that 15 active patients have tested positive for C. difficile toxin, including patients who presented to Trillium with C. difficile upon admission. Two past patients have been confirmed to have had the NAP1 strain. As part of its infection prevention and control action plan, Trillium has heightened its screening of patients for possible C. difficile infection and fine tuned its environmental cleaning processes.

The safety of Trillium patients is always a paramount priority and strict infection control protocols are used in the facility. Trillium is working closely with Peel Public Health to ensure the action plan is as comprehensive as possible, to minimize the number of patients who develop infection and to reduce the possibility of transmission.

The key parts of our action plan continue to include:

• heightened awareness and screening of patients for possible C. difficile

• placing suspected patients in private rooms and putting them on Contact Precautions

• ongoing education for staff, physicians, and volunteers

• enhancing cleaning of patient rooms and areas where C. difficile might be present

• educating patients, families, and visitors about proper hand washing.

The risk to the community is low and patients and their families are encouraged to follow basic hand washing practices when visiting the hospital for tests, procedures, or surgery, or when visiting family or friends.

Please visit Peel Public Health’s website for more information about C. difficile at http://www.region.peel.on.ca/health/discon/htmfiles/c-difficile.htm.

Regular updates, as required, will continue to be posted to Trillium's website.

For more information or for interview requests, please contact:

Larry Roberts
Trillium Health Centre

Media Relations Consultant
905-848-7580 ext. 3832

Tatiana Golovanova
Peel Public Health
905-791-7800 ext. 2656

Background
Trillium Health Centre, which serves the communities of Mississauga and Toronto, is currently experiencing an increase in the number and severity of adult patient cases with Clostridium difficile or C. difficile. C. difficile is a bacterium found commonly in the gastrointestinal tracts of up to 50 percent of healthy babies and young children and in less than five percent of children older than two years of age and in adults. This bacteria can be found in hospitals, long-term care facilities and child care facility environments.

Certain people are at increased risk for acquiring C. difficile. These risk factors include:
• A history of antibiotic usage
• Bowel surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Prolonged hospitalization.

Additional risk factors that predispose some people to develop more severe disease include:
• Increased age
• Serious underlying illness or debilitation.

Trillium continues to monitor the situation and will keep the public informed through the media, the Trillium website at www.trilliumhealthcentre.org and the community hotline number 905-804-7949.

About Trillium Health Centre
Trillium Health Centre is one of Canada’s largest community hospitals with regional programs in cardiac, stroke, neurosurgery, orthopaedic, and sexual assault and domestic violence services. Housing a model ambulatory care centre and the largest free standing day surgery centre in North America, Trillium serves over one million residents in Peel and West Toronto and from other communities across Ontario. With the continued support of the Trillium Health Centre Foundation, the hospital’s fundraising arm, the two-site facility is attracting international attention for its innovative approach to providing health care services and has received numerous national awards for quality and innovation.

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Media Contacts

For all media enquiries, please call Public Relations at 905-848-7580 ext. 3832.