Does somebody who has had a C. difficile infection pose a risk to others after they have been discharged?
There should be no restriction on the discharge or transfer of patients who have had C. difficile associated diarrhoea and are now clinically asymptomatic, ie, they no longer have diarrhoea. Once someone has recovered clinically they are not a risk to others even if they continue to carry C. difficile in their stool for a period provided that they observe the normal personal hygiene precautions of handwashing after using the toilet. A patient with a formed stool and who is continent is not considered to present a risk for environmental contamination or cross infection. Thus a history of C. difficile infection is not a contra-indication to a patient returning to a care home/nursing home/community hospital.
