Two springer spaniels at Vancouver General Hospital can identify contaminated areas where bacteria is lurking, according to an article on the Vancouver Sun website.
The dogs have identified C. diff on medical equipment and in linen carts, hospital beds, waiting areas, and staff lockers.
The dogs started working at the hospital three years ago and they alerted staff 391 times to odors from C. diff., according to the study published today in the Canadian Journal of Infection Control.
The dogs found C. diff scents in places no one thought about, like inside toilet paper dispensers. “Now we are thinking about whether this is a toilet paper dispenser design issue that needs to be fixed or whether it’s the quality of the toilet paper or both,” said the study's author.
What Managers Miss in Small and Mid-Sized Cooling Units
Preparing Healthcare Facilities for Cockroach Risks
The Medical College of Wisconsin Breaks Ground on Student Housing Complex
A Shift in Healthcare Facilities Management
Trauma-Informed Design Transforms Boston Homeless Shelter