Using the Waterlow tool to predict Clostridium difficile infection risk in hospital settings

C difficile is the most important cause of infectious healthcare acquired diarrhoea and risk of infection is a public concern. Many acute and primary care trusts are working to further reduce rates of C difficile and targets have been set. Global reduction strategies include prudent antibiotic prescribing and intensive cleaning programmes. While risk assessment tools for C difficile exist, they are not easy to use in hospital. This article introduces an inexpensive and easy to use assessment tool and outlines how nurses can apply a reduction strategy using it to identify patients who are at risk on admission and then target interventions to reduce this risk.