Hospital uses dogs to sniff out C. diff
Finding minute traces of antibiotic-resistant Clostridium difficile, or C. diff, bacteria in hospital rooms can be difficult—but not if you’ve got a dog's heightened sense of smell.
Vancouver General Hospital has found success with its first “superbug”-tracking dog, Angus, who in less than a year has found more of 100 instances of the bacteria, according to the Vancouver Sun, allowing the hospital to bring in ultraviolet light disinfectors to more thoroughly clean rooms and patient areas.
In one instance, Angus sniffed out a C. diff specimen hidden by a government official under a stretcher less than 10 seconds after entering the hallway.
For more on the program, and why the hospital is expanding its canine workforce with another C. diff-sniffing dog, click on the link below:
John joined TriMed in 2016, focusing on healthcare policy and regulation. After graduating from Columbia College Chicago, he worked at FM News Chicago and Rivet News Radio, and worked on the state government and politics beat for the Illinois Radio Network. Outside of work, you may find him adding to his never-ending graphic novel collection.