A seventh patient with C. difficile has died at Guelph General Hospital, but in this case the disease was not contracted at the hospital. A release on Friday said the elderly patient was admitted to GGH earlier in the week with numerous health issues, including a case of community-acquired C. difficile.
“Over the course of a year, numerous people come to the Hospital for various reasons who also have acquired C. difficile somewhere in the community,” Richard Ernst, GGH President and CEO, said in the statement.
Since the C. difficile outbreak began May 4, GGH has had 18 cases of hospital-acquired C. difficile – the latest one being on August 3. Six of those 18 patients have since passed away and C. difficile may have been a contributing factor.
Currently, GGH has four patients with C. difficile – one patient acquired it while in the hospital and three were admitted with it from the community.
“The public can support the Hospital by cleaning their hands when entering the building,” Ernst says. “Anyone planning to visit and is feeling unwell should phone instead of coming in person. By everyone working together, GGH will remain a safe place to get high quality, patient-centred care.”