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C. difficile, or Clostridium difficile, is a kind of bacteria that upsets the normal balance of healthy bacteria in the digestive system, causing diarrhea. It often affects people who have been taking antibiotics, especially "broad spectrum" ones that kill a wide variety of bacteria.
C. difficile has been around for a long time. A study of Quebec hospitals found a dramatically higher rate of death in people with the infection. Instead of the usual death rate of 1.5%, some hospitals had a death rate of 8.5% among those who become infected. Rates at which people become infected have also increased. Researchers worry that a new, more deadly strain of C. difficile has emerged.
C. difficile doesn't normally cause trouble for healthy people. However, for people taking antibiotics, it becomes a problem when it takes over from other "healthy" bacteria in your colon or large intestine, causing diarrhea and damaging the colon. Common culprits are amoxicillin, clindamycin, and a group of antibiotics known as the cephalosporins.
Most of the cases of C. difficile have been reported in hospitals and nursing homes. Why? These are both places where patients commonly receive the "broad-spectrum" antibiotics that increase the risk of C. difficile infection. As well, C. difficile is often normally found in hospitals and nursing homes, and is easily spread from person to person through contaminated instruments and dirty hands.
Symptoms of C. difficile infection may include watery diarrhea, diarrhea containing blood or mucus, abdominal pain and cramps, fever, chills, and fast heartbeat. In severe cases, this infection can be fatal.
For mild cases, the usual treatment is to stop the antibiotics. The balance of healthy bacteria in the colon is usually restored, which gets rid of the problem. For more severe cases, the original antibiotics are stopped and new antibiotics, usually metronidazole or vancomycin, are started. These 2 antibiotics target C. difficile itself to help the body get rid of the infection. In very severe cases where antibiotics don't work, surgery may be needed.
One way to avoid C. difficile infection is not to take antibiotics and to stay away from hospitals or nursing homes. However, that's not always possible or even practical.
Here are a few things you can do to stay safe:
Here are the steps that hospitals and nursing homes take to reduce the risk of C. difficile:
Since the new strain was first reported, hospitals have taken action to limit the spread of C. difficile and cut down on infections. These steps, plus taking the precautions listed above, will help protect you from C. difficile.
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