Focus: Infection Control

Dogs in Vancouver hospital can sniff out C. diff

The dogs identified C. diff on medical equipment and in linen carts, hospital beds, waiting areas, and staff lockers


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.

Read the article.



September 3, 2019


Topic Area: Infection Control


Recent Posts

Cyberattack Results in Patient Reroutes at Anne Arundel Medical Center

A recent cyberattack on Luminis Health Care led to care disruptions and treatment cancelations at Maryland hospital.


Tangram Furnishes Be Well OC Irvine Behavioral Health Campus

Case study: Through a public-private partnership, Be Well OC’s 22-acre Irvine campus expands Orange County’s continuum of behavioral healthcare.


Suntree Internal Medicine Reports Data Breach

Suntree Internal Medicine has no evidence of misuse, or attempted misuse, of any potentially affected information.


Why Healthcare Facilities Management Is Critical to Patient Safety 

Hospitals and other healthcare facilities rely on much more than doctors and nurses to keep patients safe.


Sanford Health and North Memorial Health Finalize Partnership

An integration process is underway to create a unified organization.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.