Final answer:
The proper isolation precaution for a patient with a positive stool sample for Clostridium difficile is Contact Precautions. This involves using gloves and gowns, dedicated equipment for the patient, and strict hand hygiene. Treatment includes specific antibiotics or fecal transplants.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a patient's stool specimen is positive for Clostridium difficile, the nurse should institute Contact Precautions. This is because C. difficile can be transmitted via the fecal-oral route, meaning it can spread by touching contaminated surfaces or items and then touching the mouth or mucous membranes. Contact precautions include the use of gloves and gowns when interacting with the patient, dedicating the use of non-critical patient-care equipment to a single patient, and stringent hand hygiene practices, especially since C. difficile spores are resistant to alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
For those with C. difficile in their digestive system, treatments include antibiotics like metronidazole or vancomycin, or in some cases, a fecal transplant from a healthy donor to restore a healthy gut microbiota.