Carol Griest C-diff while inpatient for fractured hip

Your Name: Carol Griest

Patient’s Name/Relationship: Carol Griest

City/State: Redondo Beach, CA

When did event occur (what year)? 2005

Where did event occur? Acute Care General Hospital

What type of medical harm did you experience or witness? Healthcare-Acquired Infection

Please describe what happened. I was in the hospital because I had fallen and fractured my right hip. The day after surgery was the only day I got antibiotics. The second day postop I developed C. diff. It was not diagnosed for several days & we tried the usual methods of stopping the bowel movements. Of course nothing worked. Finally started on Vancomycin, which I continued to take after I got home. (Very expensive, that drug!!!) The good thing about it all was that it inspired my son-in-law, a physician with (N.) CA Kaiser to do something about lowering the rates of nosocomial infections at his hospitals. I had a long talk with the person at my hospital about what I had seen about cleaning rooms, etc while I was a patient, hoping my words of wisdom would shake them up so someone else didn’t go through what I was going through. I swear I never got over it – the least little thing seems to give me a case of the trots! I wouldn’t wish C diff on my worst enemy! (Also I should have mentioned the source of C dif probably was my first roommate. Then I got moved to 3 different rooms- really giving me a chance to spread it around! And all the antibacterial stuff they use doesn’t affect C. dif – only good old soap & water does!) What an experience!

What was the outcome of the medical harm issue? Minor injury