title: Collateral impact of a hospital outbreak of Clostridium difficile: an unrecognized surge event requiring a system-level response.
abstract: This paper discusses a unique surge event caused by an outbreak of Clostridium difficile, resulting not from an increase in the demands on the healthcare system but, rather, from a substantial decrease in the capacity to provide care when the medical capacity in the facility was decreased by 50% due to bed closures. Approaches to managing the situation using the staff, stuff and space paradigm are presented as strategies to prevent future adverse medical events.
authors.affiliation: 1 Canadian Field Hospital, Canadian Forces.
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Christian
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D016360:Clostridioides difficile; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004189:Disaster Planning; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000458:organization & administration; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D055872:Surge Capacity / Q000458:organization & administration*